


Ilvermorny--DCU

by BadBlond099



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Amnesia, Boggarts, Broober ftw, Durmstrang, Gen, Hogwarts, Ilvermorny, Parthenon (Original Magic School), Quidditch, Wizarding World (Harry Potter), reference to past torture, transfer students
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-25
Updated: 2021-01-06
Packaged: 2021-02-27 18:35:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 23,335
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22900327
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BadBlond099/pseuds/BadBlond099
Summary: The DCU reimagined in the style of a very familiar Wizarding World.
Relationships: Artemis Crock/Wally West, Dick Grayson/Barbara Gordon, Dick Grayson/Koriand'r, Dick Grayson/Slade Wilson, Dick Grayson/Zatanna Zatara, Harley Quinn/Joker, Selina Kyle/Bruce Wayne, Talia al Ghul/Bruce Wayne
Comments: 16
Kudos: 41





	1. Character Bios

**Author's Note:**

> Heyo! This was kind of a for-fun idea that's been bouncing around in my head for a beat or two. It might stay just an idle distraction depending on reception.
> 
> But basically I went nuts and set up a storyline with my favorite DC characters in a world full of magic. Rather than sparking debate over who belongs to which Hogwarts house, I figured Ilvermorny would make more sense anyways. Most of these DC characters are based in America, so why wouldn't they attend the American School of Magic?
> 
> Ilvermorny has a FANTASTIC foundation set up by JK Rowling herself that I highly suggest looking up if you haven't at Pottermore. Just like most of what she writes, she does an amazing job establishing Ilvermorny's history. I'm borrowing directly from that for this. Right down to the 4 Houses placement ceremony and wand policies and the like. Of course she hasn't written 7 books on Ilvermorny, so a lot of things will still be based around practices established in her books with regards to Hogwarts.
> 
> Also, just an fyi, I don't support Rowling's views regarding the trans community and being part of the LGBTQ+ community myself, I am disappointed to know that such a literary icon has expressed such views. But it doesn't change how we've enjoyed her works and how influential they've been. I started writing this story before the whole drama came up (I think. I'm out of the loop often, admittedly), and may continue with it in order to keep readers and myself happy.
> 
> Otherwise, this first chapter is strictly going to be character bios. Partly to give you an idea of what to expect and partly to keep my thoughts on this organized. If there's any characters you don't see on here that you'd like to, please let me know! I'd happily add more! In fact, if there's a certain aspect of their background that you'd like to establish (like which house they belong/belonged to, what school they attended, etc.) I'd be happy to include them. I'll also update this list as I feel it's necessary and try to post the date of the last update each time so that it's easy to spot changes.
> 
> But like I said, this story's mostly experimentation. If it's not well received it might go largely overlooked unless it meets my fancy. Gawd knows I've got plenty of other things I'm supposed to be working on right now...

Jason Todd—5th year—Pukwudgie—Slytherin transfer  
Reason for his transfer remains largely secret. Bruce, Ducra, and Talia are the only staff members fully aware of his circumstances, though Harleen seems to have some idea. He’s a registered Animagus, though he can’t remember going through the process. He turns into a Red-Tailed Hawk. Much of his life before the transfer is a blank. The one thing he seems to know for sure is what everyone else knows him for the death of the Joker. Due to the nature of his transfer and the fact that he was a Slytherin before becoming a Pukwudgie, he’s not well liked by his own house-mates and has a lot of trouble fitting in.

Roy Harper—6th year—Horned Serpent  
Though he’s often viewed as a slacker and a class clown, Roy is intelligent and innovative. He’s known for trying to create magic-accessible versions of no-maj amenities—which is backwards to most of his peers, so he’s largely ignored. He was the youngest of the Titans Club, which had been founded and led by Richard Grayson and fell apart not after his graduation, but after his return. Unlike the other members who have largely remained close, Roy finds himself at odds with them more often than not. Has a bad history of substance abuse that he doesn’t like to discuss and is hilariously bad with animals.

Artemis Grace—5th year—Pukwudgie—Parthenon transfer  
Youngest current Quidditch Team Captain and the first female Beater to ever receive the title. In spite of the fact that she transferred to Ilvermorny in the middle of her second year, people still judge her based on the fact that she came from the highly prestigious Parthenon Academy (all-girls school with a stellar reputation). She’s bold and has the skill and strength to match her ego. Excels in subjects that require action and struggles with academic subjects. Is nicknamed “the Drill Sergeant” by the Pukwudgie Quidditch team. Doesn’t like to talk about the reason behind her transfer, but it seems to have something to do with a girl named Akila.

Dick Grayson—Thunderbird Alumni—Defense Against the Dark Arts Teaching Assistant  
Generally well-liked by both students and professors. He’s Bruce Wayne’s foster son and a role model for all wizards. He was House President and Valedictorian in his time at Ilvermorny, and founder of the Titans Club; a group of students who stood against injustices on campus. He’s also a registered Animagus: turns into an Osprey. Upon returning to Ilvermorny and taking a job as a teaching assistant, he has noticeably lost his vitality, deeply concerning the old Titans who he has done his best to push away. Has a connection to Jason that Jason himself can’t remember. Was also notoriously a playboy when he was a student, as he seems to have had romantic histories with Barbara, Kori, and Zatanna.

Tim Drake—4th year—Horned Serpent  
Easily the brightest wizard of his age but much prefers no-maj amenities to magic. Well known for having an enchanted smart phone that acts as a wifi hotspot in spite of Ilvermorny being an enchanted dead-zone. He’s also a registered Animagus: turns into a Great Horned Owl. Though he’s not overly social by nature, he’s popular with most students around his age. He takes the school’s mysteries as challenges and doesn’t know how to give up when solving them. Knows more about Jason than he lets on but is unable to confirm most of his theories. He’s particularly curious about the mystery that is Grayson’s fall from grace. He’s close with Stephanie and Conner.

Damian Wayne-Al Ghul—2nd year—Wampus—Durmstrang transfer  
Boasts of unmatched intelligence and ability only to become enraged whenever someone shows him up. He’s a firm believer in the superiority of pure-bloods and will throw his family names at anyone who questions it. As the son of a headmaster and grandson of another, the expectations on his shoulders often crush him, though he would never let his father know that. He’s an unregistered Animagus because he finds his animal form to be pathetic and unworthy of his true nature (he turns into a Kestrel). He was transferred to Ilvermorny part way through his first year at Durmstrang and often questions his mother’s choice, wishing to return to his grandfather’s school. he doesn’t understand that his mother is on the run.

Jonathan Kent—1st year—Pukwudgie  
Pride and joy of the wizarding world’s greatest anomaly; Jon is Clark’s only son. Half no-maj human and half magical-Kryptonian, he finds challenge in both controlling his magic and his natural physiology as well. He wears a gold Kryptonite pendant to suppress his powers while at school. Sees the pendant as a sort of security blanket as he doesn’t like his Kryptonian powers. Because of how close his father is with the Headmaster, he tries to get to know Bruce’s son Damian. They’re close, but it’s hard to say that they’re friends.

Koriand’r—7th year—Pukwudgie—House President  
An all-around ray of sunshine on campus. She’s another alien with a magical affinity, but her physiology makes her particularly good with healing magic. She’s the House President of Pukwudgie and acts very much like a den mother. Is painfully oblivious to the way that her House-mates treat Jason. She was Dick’s girlfriend when he graduated. Their dramatic breakup is the stuff of legend around campus, so she ignores him wholly upon his return. Roy has a very apparent crush on her that she often likes to use to her advantage. Though she can act ditzy and abuses her femininity, she’s one of the top duelists at the school and doesn't allow any man to look down on her.

Cassandra Cain—4th year—Wampus—Durmstrang transfer  
Was sent by Talia to scope out Ilvermorny before she sent Damian. A servant of the Al Ghul family, she often acts as if she is a lesser human, which Damian doesn’t like. She adores her charge and would do anything for him. Tim and Stephanie are the first people to help her get out of her shell a little. She’s particularly good at offensive spells.

Stephanie Brown—4th year—Horned Serpent  
A scholarship student whose father is a notorious dark wizard doing time in prison. She hates being associated with him. Looked up to the Titans Club in her early years at Ilvermorny, but was considered too young to join. Instead got close with Tim. She does what she can to help him find and solve mysteries around the school. She’s a brilliant student, but clumsy at the worst of times. Her friendly nature helps to open Cassandra up.

Barbara Gordon—7th year—Horned Serpent—House President & Valedictorian  
When it came time to vote in the House President, the decision was unanimous. Barbara was easily the best representative of the House. She never joined the Titans Club, but was still known for being a stickler about rules to the point of occasionally clashing with them when they acted, in her opinion, unnecessarily. Due to the closeness of her father and Bruce, she and Dick are childhood friends. She also knows a little about Jason, but he can’t recall their connection. Has a romantic history with Dick, but little is known about what happened that broke them up. What is known is that neither can look at each other without looking sad.

Garfield Logan—3rd year—Thunderbird  
An overall friendly student who gets bullied a lot because of his green skin. He’s a Metamorphmagus, but only turns into animals and can’t explain why.

Jaime Reyes—4th year—Thunderbird  
Can be a little intense. Inherited a magical artifact from an old Ilvermorny professor but doesn’t fully understand it.

Conner Kent—5th year—Thunderbird  
A clone of Clark Kent created with the DNA of him and Lex Luthor—a dark wizard known for his political power. Self-proclaimed ladies’ man. Doesn’t like dealing with Clark, but keeps an eye out for Jon when he can. Good friends with Tim in spite of their clashing personalities.

Bruce Wayne—Ilvermorny Headmaster—Thunderbird Alumni  
Well respected in the wizarding community. His parents were of great breeding and were killed in an accident by a no-maj. Rather than isolate himself or take out his anger on no-maj’s, he was raised by his family’s butler, Alfred Pennyworth, to be a charitable man. Known for using his family’s wealth to fund various scholarships for students. Adopted Dick, took a personal interest in Jason, invested in Tim’s education, and protective father of Damian. The boys are nicknamed his “Rare Birds” due to the fact that they’re all Animagi with bird forms. He’s an Animagus as well: turns into an abnormally large Vampire Bat (wingspan of over 6 feet). It is well known that he and the Joker were old enemies. He did everything that he could to end the clown’s reign of terror and continues to fund relief efforts for families affected by the horrors the Joker wrought. He’s behind Jason’s enrollment at Hogwarts and his subsequent transfer to Ilvermorny. Refuses to discuss Jason’s past with him.

Clark Kent—Flying Teacher—Thunderbird Alumni  
The first publicly (or at least wizard-publicly) known alien with magical capabilities. He was at Ilvermorny at the same time as Bruce and the two of them were very close friends. Not long out of school he took on a job among no-maj’s and met the love of his life: Lois Lane. Lois is a no-maj who was informed of magic by Clark. According to every witch and wizard she meets, she’s the most impressive no-maj that they know. She’s fiercely protective of Jon and not afraid of calling any of the professors out. Clark fought at Bruce’s side against dark wizards who sided with the Joker. He has a particularly bad history with Lex Luthor and doesn’t acknowledge Conner. Participated in the Tri-Wizard tournament back during his school days.

Jim Gordon—Muggle Studies Professor—Pukwudgie Alumni  
Rather than becoming an Auror, Gordon took it upon himself to enforce no-maj laws as he finds them more justified and sensible, so he also has a job as a police officer. Doesn’t let Bruce forget that he was already a professor when Bruce and Clark first came to Ilvermorny. He can be a little close-minded at times, but is very supportive of his daughter. He doesn’t speak of his son, however.

Slade Wilson—Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor—Wampus Alumni  
An old soldier who fought in the war on dark magic. In spite of having once been an Auror, his skills center mostly around the use of dark magic. He was forced to drink a potion by a dark wizard in his active days and the potion keeps him in peak physical condition and gives him accelerated healing. It also, however, causes him nearly constant pain. He’s the most intimidating professor at Ilvermorny. Upon Grayson becoming his assistant, there have been rumors about things happening behind closed doors, but no one has been able to prove anything.

Talia Al Ghul—Potions Master—Durmstrang Alumni  
Daughter of the Demon, as she is known, she was a shoe-in for future Headmistress at Durmstrang until a particular incident made her father turn on her and put her and her son on the run. She went to Bruce for help and he enrolled Damian at his school. She remained in hiding for a while before finally accepting a position among the Ilvermorny staff, believing that her father wouldn’t act against her when it would cause a public uproar.

John Constantine—Care of Magical Creatures Professor—Gryffindor Alumni—Banned from Hogwarts  
According to him and everyone else at Ilvermorny, he was wrongly placed as the Care of Magical Creatures Professor. He has very little experience with animals. In fact, his class often finds themselves dealing more with demons than creatures. He was a Defense Against the Dark Arts professor back at Hogwarts before some ‘incident’ resulted in his unemployment and banishment from the school. He refuses to talk about it and the only ones aware of what happened are Bruce and Zatanna, who was his student at the time of the incident.

Zatanna Zatara—Charms Professor—Wandmaster—Thunderbird Alumni—Hogwarts Exchange Student (Ravenclaw)  
A legacy student with a famous father. She joined the Titans Club in her fifth year and dated Dick at the time, but broke up with him when the opportunity to do an exchange arose, figuring it would be tricky to juggle that with a relationship. She wound up spending her 7th and final year of schooling at Hogwarts where she met John Constantine. It was during her year abroad that the ‘incident’ occurred. Unlike the staff at Hogwarts, she takes pity on John. It’s said that Bruce hired John at her request. She took over her father’s place as Wandmaster at Ilvermorny after graduation and a year later was taken on as the Charms Professor.

Selina Kyle—Transfigurations Professor—Wampus Alumni  
Another student from Bruce’s time at Ilvermorny. Even though Talia is the mother of his child, she and Bruce have always had an intimacy between them that couldn’t be matched. She was recruited by the Joker and did some things that she regrets, but Bruce gave her a second chance as an Ilvermorny professor. She has an eye for expensive things. She’s also a registered Animagus: obviously she turns into a black cat.

Harleen Quinzel—School Nurse/Counselor—Pukwudgie Alumni  
The most controversial employee at Ilvermorny (and that’s counting Constantine) due to her closeness with the Joker. She wasn’t just a victim, she was his right hand. It’s said that she specialized in spells that broke countless witches’ and wizards’ minds. Upon her arrest, however, it was discovered that an incomprehensible amount of Amortentia in her system as well as the Joker’s own concoction that made her highly susceptible to his will and puts her participation into question. The reason Bruce trusts her is that she turned herself in upon witnessing something that the Joker did that she couldn’t live with.

Pamela Isley—Herbology Professor—Horned Serpent Alumni  
Yet another controversial employee. Pam has a criminal record for using her enchanted plants for acts of eco-terrorism against no-maj’s. She has never killed, however, and has done her time in prison. She can be a little severe and does not tolerate mistreatment of her plants. She’s particularly close with Harleen, who she knew from her time at Ilvermorny.

Ducra—Divinations Professor—???  
Very little is known about Ducra. Even the paintings on the walls say that she’s just always been there. The old woman is often dismissed as crazy by the students. She believes that Jason is the ‘Chosen One of Prophecy,’ though she doesn’t tell him what that even means. She’s among the few aware of the details behind Jason’s transfer. She’s also the only person that Jason trusts implicitly.

Essence—History of Magic Professor—???  
Supposedly Ducra’s daughter, though the darkness in her eyes makes people wonder just what her father was. Though she hasn’t been around Ilvermorny as long as her mother, she has been around for quite a while and hasn’t aged a day. It’s apparent that she knew Jason before his transfer, but refuses to discuss the matter. Jason remembers her fondly, but she only looks at him coldly now.

Boston Brand—Ilvermorny Ghost—Thunderbird Alumni  
An all-around friendly spirit known for playing pranks by possessing students and the occasional idle-minded staff member and causing trouble. It’s easy to spot someone possessed by him because of the accent they suddenly take on. He was killed when a dark wizard knocked him out of the air, but continued to fight even upon dying, unaware of his sudden change in status.

Alfred Pennyworth—Ilvermorny Ghost  
The old Wayne family butler and Bruce’s foster parent. Killed as collateral in a fight between Bruce and the Joker, but he never blames his son. Well known for keeping an eye on the Headmaster and the Rare Birds. Grayson knew him before his passing. Alfred occasionally says things that suggest he knew Jason at some point as well.

Klarion & Teekl—Groundskeeper—Slytherin Alumni  
A legendary dark wizard, stopped generations ago by Doctor Fate and cursed to serve as the Groundskeeper at Ilvermorny for the rest of his immortal life. An agent of chaos who does what he can to cause problems, though he is no longer able to use magic. There’s nothing more important to him than his cat Teekl.

Garth—7th year—Thunderbird  
Was a member of the Titans Club when it first started. He would argue with Grayson often, but their competitiveness was always taken as friendly. Upon Dick’s return, he’s been unable to even get the guy to argue with him, which makes him worry. As an Atlantean, he’s got a sturdier physiology than most human witches and wizards. Chose to attend Ilvermorny rather than the Atlantean school for magic to represent his people.

Jackson Hyde—5th year—Pukwudgie  
Half Atlantean, half human, and constantly struggling with identity issues. His human parent chose to send him to Ilvermorny. The most he could do was look up to Garth, who happily took him as a sort of underling until it became clear to Garth that Jackson’s feelings towards him were more than just brotherly. Jackson remains socially stunted, though the Titans Alumni who come around still adore him and look out for him.

Mia Dearden—4th year—Thunderbird  
Comes from no-maj parents and a dark background. Received the Oliver Queen scholarship to attend Ilvermorny. She continues to board at the school even during summer. Has an innate dislike of all things no-maj.

Artemis Crock—Wampus Alumni—Dueling Club Supervisor  
An old Titans Club member and the Dueling champion of her year. She’s working on becoming an Auror, but spends a lot of time on Ilvermorny campus, coaching future duelists. Her fiancé is all but attached at the hip. She’s also great friends with Zatanna.

Wally West—Thunderbird Alumni—PE Coach  
An old Titans Club member; the founder along with Grayson. The two of them were inseparable during their time at Ilvermorny. He often butted heads with Artemis only to start dating her during their 7th year. Now they’re engaged and as close as anyone from the Titans could be. An accident that happened during his first year caused him to nearly lose the ability to use his legs. An experimental potion that he came up with himself granted him full use again, but also raised his metabolism drastically. Over time it became apparent that his whole body was affected by the potion, which gave him super-speed. He returns to Ilvermorny to make sure kids are safe in their physical activities. He shows great concern for Grayson’s obvious withdrawal, but can’t seem to find a way to help.

Ra’s Al Ghul—Durmstrang Headmaster  
Little is known about the Demon Head aside from the fact that he’s the only registered dark wizard still in good standing in the Wizarding Community. Supposedly holds the secret to immortality. He is a firm believer in the power of pure bloods and looks down on no-maj’s. He sided against the Joker, which is a large reason behind why he is allowed to continue as he has been without any interference from magical agencies.

Diana Prince—Parthenon Headmistress  
Parthenon is the Greek academy of magic. It’s an all-girls’ school run entirely by women, founded by Hippolyta. The school boasts of ancient traditions and elitist nature. Diana, daughter of Hippolyta, took over the school upon her mother’s retirement. She’s hailed as the most powerful Witch of her time. She participated in the Tri-Wizard tournament against Clark and Shiva and won.

Green Lanterns—MACUSA, Ministry of Magic, etc.  
Alan Scott founded the Green Lantern Corp upon receiving an interplanetary magic apparatus from a being known only as 'a Guardian.' Using magic that supersedes Earth magic, they police the Wizarding World. Hal Jordan is notably the most famous and helped fight the Joker and his dark wizards. Guy Gardner is often misjudged as someone only in it for the power. John Stewart is strict and fair in all his actions, but butts heads with Guy often. Simon Baz, having dealt with racial issues in both the Wizarding world as well as the non-Wizarding world, makes it his personal mission to police equally. Jessica Cruz was controlled by a dark magic version of the Power Rings that the Corps uses, but she was saved by the GLC. She can be a little green but does her best. Kyle Rayner witnessed the event that led to the Joker’s death and feels very protective of Jason because of it.

The Joker—“He Who Cannot Be Named”—Dark Wizard--???  
The worst dark wizard of recent history. A self-proclaimed agent of chaos who delights in torturing and killing Witches, Wizards, and no-maj’s alike. During his reign of terror, the number of deaths credited to him broke the hundreds, and that wasn’t even counting the people his followers killed in his name. He clashed with Bruce in particular often and delighted in causing trouble and tragedy for the Headmaster. There is still a lot of mystery surrounding his death, but it is well known that he died while trying to kill Jason Todd. Though it’s not well recognized, his influence remains, and more dark wizards carry on his work in the shadows.


	2. Transfer Student Trials

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jason's first day at Ilvermorny is humiliating and he gets placed in the last House that anyone expected.
> 
> His second day? Not much more graceful, but at least he's got someone on his side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the actual beginning!
> 
> It's kinda funny how Roy's become Jason's Ron Weasley of sorts (must be the hair). Of course, Ron wasn't a total delinquent... But hey, gotta love him.
> 
> Open for suggestions or comments! I know this feels like it was cut a little short! It kind of was. Dying laptop and all... But the next chapter will play off it, I swear.

It was an absolute nightmare. As if it wasn’t bad enough when he’d sat through sorting at Hogwarts. No employee of the school would admit it, but there was a lot of bias with regards to the four houses and Slytherins were seen as sinister for having harbored so many dark wizards. Being an introvert, he was an easy target for students to go after, but their bullying never bothered him. He’d been through worse.

Now, standing on the Gordian knot, he was alone. Having transferred after the year had started, there weren’t any other students in the main hall with him, they were all overhead, looking down at him as he waited for the four statues to sort him.

Jason Todd; a Slytherin without Slytherin pride, and the Pukwudgie statue raised its arrow for him, claiming him as not the most sinister of the houses, but the embodiment of heart. Slytherin was thought to favor pure-blooded witches and wizards. Pukwudgie was notoriously the house founded by a no-maj.

The main hall was painfully silent at his placement. He knew that things had been bad for him back at Hogwarts. Now they were bound to get infinitely worse. It was all he could do to keep his head held high as he was handed a set of gaudy blue and cranberry-red robes with the Pukwudgie symbol embroidered patch by the head of the Pukwudgie house: Professor Gordon.

“Now, son, it’s time to get you a wand,” the gruff old man said with a firm pat on Jason’s shoulder. “That is, assuming you need one. I suppose—since you’re a transfer—you might—”

“I need one,” he said quickly, cutting the man off. “I…my wand isn’t…”

Professor Gordon nodded and led Jason away from prying eyes and to the hall lined with boxes. There a professor who was dressed like a classic magician stood waiting. She tipped her top hat to him as they approached.

“Welcome, Jason, to Ilvermorny. I’m Professor Zatanna Zatara. I prefer Zatanna since my father used to teach here and it feels confusing to be addressed the same way he was,” she unnecessarily explained. “Anyways, I’m the wands expert here, so I’ll help to pair you with your new wand.” She took out an almost comically sleek, black, and white tipped wand, flourished it, and a number of boxes dislodged from the walls and floated down to them.

“Your wand’s…different,” he ventured to point out.

Professor Zatanna smiled and held up her wand. “Ten-inch ebony wood with no handle, jackalope antler core, and an ivory tip. Suits me just fine, don’t you think?”

Jason shrugged. It really did suit her, but why she looked like a Vegas magician was still beyond him.

“Here. Give this one a shot.”

One wand box drifted within his reach. He popped it open to find an orange wand with a stone handle. He took it out of the box and, having already been through the motions back at Ollivanders years ago, he gave it a flick and the thing spat fire like an enraged dragon.

“Okay! Okay! Make it stop!”

Jason flicked it again and dropped it as the flames went out.

“Okay.” Zatanna fixed her hair where it got frizzy due to the heat and nodded. “Snallygaster heartstring may NOT be the best choice.” A portion of the boxes drifted back to their places in the wall and the castaway wand floated back into its box and was put away as well. “Give this one a try.”

The second option was a rigid, dark wood, with a metal ornamental handle. He barely touched it before a number of other wand boxes went flying from the wall. He put his hand back at his side and Zatanna huffed before flourishing her wand again, cleaning up the chaos. “Alright. Haven’t had that strong a reaction in a while. No Wampus hair core then, and probably not something so rigid.” More of the options drifted back into place, leaving just a single box. “Crap. Should have gotten more core options for you. What was your last wand, if you don’t mind my asking?”

Jason stared at her long and hard, searching his mind for the memories. “Phoenix feather…” That was all he knew. He hoped she didn’t need more.

“Phoenix, huh? The bird of rebirth.” As she talked, the available boxes swapped with other boxes. “A Slytherin, now Pukwudgie. Cunning and resourceful, heart and healing…” More boxes swapped until one solid black box drifted over to Jason. “Huh. Interesting. Not a common core. This wand was just an experiment, but it seems drawn to you. Go ahead.”

Jason nervously opened the box. Inside was a smooth, red wand with a carved handle and an amber gem on the bottom end. He held it for a moment, feeling its weight. The balance seemed right to him. One minor flick and sparks burst from the tip, spraying like a gentle firework. Another flick and it stopped just as easily. “This…feel good,” he muttered, hoping the sparkler wasn’t a bad sign.

Professor Zatanna nodded. “I’ll have to keep this in mind. That’s redwood—native to California and known for being the largest trees in the world—thirteen inches, with a Thestral heartstring core.”

“Thestral?” It wasn’t a beast he was familiar with.

“That’s why this wand was experimental. Thestrals can only be seen by those who have been touched by the tragedy of death. Whether or not they’d even work as wand cores has been a matter of question.”

Jason stiffened.

“It just means you’ve witnessed death firsthand. And that doesn’t have to be necessary to use the wand…I don’t think…Thestrals are magnificent creatures, but very misunderstood because of who can see them. But if you can handle that in a wand, perhaps others can too. I’ll look into making more wands with Thestral heartstring cores from now on.”

Jason nodded and tucked the wand back into the box. He held it to his chest and gave a quick bow. “Thank you.”

Professor Zatanna smiled. “Welcome to Ilvermorny. I hope you find this place just like home.”

Professor Gordon led Jason to the Pukwudgie dorms; hidden through a mirror on the fifth floor. He was led to a room with four other students of his year and assigned a bed and dresser. His trunk had already been placed on the bed. Professor Gordon left him to get settled and, not two minutes later, it all began.

“Puritan pig.”

It was under one of his dormmate’s breath, but it wasn’t subtle.

“I’m not pro-pureblood,” he mumbled as he began stashing what little clothing he’d brought in the dresser.

“Slytherin scum.”

Not the same guy.

“I didn’t ask to be a Slytherin.”

“You didn’t ask to be a Pukwudgie either, but here we are, putting up with you.”

Jason sighed. “Thank you for your charity,” he muttered, already trying to think of a place to hide away. “I can only hope to repay you someday.”

“Come on. He’s not even worth it.”

“Can’t even see what he is.”

How was he supposed to see himself as someone else’s problem? He was just…him…

Once he was unpacked, he left his folded robes on his bed, attached his wand to his hip, and went out under the pretense of exploring. The Pukwudgie common room was grand and well-lit. What he could remember of the Slytherin common room was…different. Students were smiling here, at least until they saw him. Then they just stared and waited, as if hoping he’d trip or something.

He exited through the mirror and took a deep breath. New school. New problems. It was to be expected. He’d have to establish himself…only…he didn’t care to be established. The less people knew about him the better.

“Heads up!”

A redhead slammed right into Jason, knocking them both to the floor.

“Shit! Sorry, but we need to run!” The guy scrambled to get to his feet and Jason sat up to see a horde of brooms flying after them. Without thinking, Jason took his new wand in hand and, with one quick flourish, turned the redhead into a small turtle. Before the guy could question what had happened, Jason morphed into a hawk, picked him up with his talons, and flew off out a nearby window. The brooms continued to pursue, in spite of Jason’s best efforts.

“The bell tower!” the turtle shouted. “It’s got wards against enchantments!”

Jason took that to heart and spotted the tower with a large bell at the top. He pulled his wings in close to break into a dive, letting the brooms follow, before pulling up and launching the two of them into the top window of the tower. The moment they passed through they both turned back into humans and the brooms collided with what looked like an invisible wall. Jason scoffed, glad to have a moment to rest, and laid his head back on the wood paneled floor where they’d landed.

“Whoo! That was epic!” The redhead was more inclined to move about. He got to his feet and paced. “Okay. Broober wasn’t successful at first attempt as the homing spell is… aggressive… But you!” He held a hand out to Jason, who got to his feet without the assist. “You’re… I mean, wow! You’re an Animagus! And you’re insanely good with transfiguration! I didn’t know people could be transfigured into animals! That was… I mean… Damn!”

Jason stared at the guy, trying to fight the slight smile playing onto his face. “I… It was nothing special.”

“You’re the new kid, right? Hogwarts transfer? What year… uhh—”

“Fifth year,” Jason clarified. “P…Pukwudgie… I guess.”

The guy scoffed. “Puk, huh? Whatever.” He held out a hand and smiled brightly. “Name’s Roy. I guess I’m a year your senior and a Horned Serpent, but whatever. Who gives a shit, right?”

Lots of people gave a shit, Jason thought. But it was nice to meet someone who didn’t know about him and didn’t seem to care about where he came from. So, he took Roy’s hand and said, “Jason. Jason Todd.”

Roy shook his hand excitedly before drawing out his wand and tracing things into his palm. “Okay. Need to adjust the degree of the homing enchantment. If those who summon Broobers are attacked by the broom in question, they’ll be less inclined to pay…”

“Broober,” Jason mumbled. “What’s a Broober?”

“Oh, you know about the no-maj thing; Uber? It’s a transportation service they can order from almost anywhere.”

Jason nodded slightly. “So…why not just make a magical version with port keys?”

“Port keys are two-way things. It’d be impossible to set up a port key everywhere with a connection everywhere else. And before you suggest floo powder, not everywhere has a viable receiving point. Brooms are mobile, but not always readily accessible. If I can enchant a large number of brooms, at least for this area, then people can get around easily.”

It wasn’t a bad idea. The execution could have been better, but to have the ability to summon a broom that was pre-set to take you to a designated location; it would take out the issue of flying skill. “What if the passenger falls off?” Jason asked.

Roy bit his lip and nodded. “Right. That’s another issue, huh? The enchantment has to have built in safety procedures. Like, if the passenger falls, retrieving them as quickly as possible.”

“It should also be made aware of obstacles,” Jason pointed out. “Not that there’s a lot of sky traffic, but it happens. If there’s something or someone in its travel path, it needs to be able to move around it without losing its way.”

Roy laughed and traced more into his palm. “Right you are, Jaybird! There’s a lot more to this that I hadn’t considered yet. Thanks, man.”

“Jaybird?”

Roy winced. “Sorry. I get you didn’t turn into a jay, but it’s kind of fitting. Don’t you think?”

Jason finally let the smile push through. “I turn unto a Red-Tailed Hawk,” he confirmed. “But yeah. I like it.”

That was the beginning of Jason’s most important friendship. He and Roy talked well into the night and spent the evening together in the bell tower. He learned that Roy wasn’t well accepted as a Horned Serpent as the house was associated with the mind and he was often seen as a clown and a blowhard. Six years and he never learned to fit in with his house. Apparently he had a group of upperclassmen friends, but most of them had graduated and he wasn’t close to the ones who were still around. 

Jason made sure to tell Roy what he could about his own history, but there was so much he wasn’t allowed to speak of or just couldn’t access. Roy didn’t push, though, and they were able to have a casual conversation.

The next morning, Roy shook Jason awake in shock.

“Dude! We’re going to miss first period!”

Jason nodded sleepily. They didn’t exactly have a stairway to work with, so there was just one option.

“We’ll both jump out, I’ll transfigure you, and I’ll get us to the main hall.”

Roy looked at the drop out of the window and swallowed a lump in his throat. “Promise not to kill me?”

“You’re going to be fine. I’ll jump first,” Jason offered. “You just have to follow. Okay?” He pushed past Roy and leapt out the window, relishing the wind whipping past his face. He rolled to watch Roy jump out. He flailed about in a panic before Jason turned him back into a turtle and morphed himself back into a hawk. He caught the turtle by its shell and carried it through an open window at the main hall. Upon landing he morphed back and stared at turtle-Roy with a smug grin. “You’re almost cute that way.”

“Stop screwing around!”

Jason chuckled and flourished his wand, restoring the guy to his normal self. They ignored the stares from fellow students in favor of hurrying. “What’s your first class, Jaybird?”

“Defense Against the Dark Arts,” he said. “Wait, don’t we need our robes?”

“Nah. Nobody really cares what you wear to class. Robes are more for assemblies and squares,” Roy said with a smirk. He conjured a green baseball cap and pulled the bill down so that it hid his eyes a little as he led Jason to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. “Heads up, Professor Wilson’s a pedophile and an asshole.”

Jason was startled by that description. Surely Bruce wouldn’t hire a guy like that?

“Don’t let him get under your skin. And don’t even think about getting help from his assistant. Grayson’s a total tool.”

“Gray-who?”

Roy led them into a classroom just in time to see an older man holding a raven-haired young man by the collar of his robes. The younger man’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he looked at the other man in anguish.

Roy cleared his throat and the man released the boy.

“You’re dismissed, Richard. I have no need of your assistance today.”

“But Slade—”

“I said leave.”

The man—Richard—nodded in defeat, picked up a large book, and rushed towards the boys. Roy purposely shoulder-checked the guy, making him drop his book. Jason picked it up without thinking.

“Th-thanks. I—” He looked right at Jason and his whole demeanor shifted. “Oh. It’s you.”

Jason tilted his head slightly. “Do…Do you know me?”

“Who gives a shit?” Roy blurted out. “Knowing Dick’s never benefited anyone.”

Richard took the book and left without another word.

“Were we interrupting something, Professor Wilson?” Roy asked, a hint of disgust clear in his voice.

The man turned to face them, showing that he had an eyepatch over a deeply scarred eye. “Harper, your presence isn’t just disruptive, it’s miraculous,” Professor Wilson said in a tired voice. “I’d have thought you’d be expelled by now. What are you even doing here? Your class isn’t this period.”

“Just helping a friend find his way.”

Professor Wilson looked Jason over with his good eye and gave a deep, approving growl that made Jason’s skin crawl. “You must be the transfer student. Todd was it?”

Jason just nodded silently, keeping his eyes trained n the man.

“I must say, the nature of your transfer is fascinating.” Jason knew the faculty was at least aware of whatever reason Bruce gave for his transfer, but even they had been left in the dark. The last thing he wanted was for this creepy old man to dig into the part of his life that was still largely a mystery to him. “You’ll have to let me pick your brain sometime.”

“No thanks,” Jason said flatly. “You have questions, talk to Professor Ducra. Or better yet, piss off.”

Professor Wilson’s eye narrowed but he smiled just the same. “I’m sure you’re familiar with the point system, being from Hogwarts. 20 points from Pukwudgie and 5 from Horned Serpent.”

“What the hell’d I do?” Roy snapped.

“You lose points for being disrespectful. Complain again and I’ll make it an even ten.”

“You’re a creepy, lecherous, old dude and it’s my fault your little boy-toy had to run off with his tail between his legs,” Roy said out of spite. “Go ahead, asshole.”

Jason decided as Professor Wilson took an additional 45 points from Horned Serpent that he really liked Roy.

The rest of the class began to trickle in, so Roy dismissed himself. “Lunch hour, catch you in the courtyard? I’ll wear this hat, so I’ll be easy to spot.”

Jason nodded before finding a seat at the back of the room. He tried to keep his head down, but Professor Wilson seemed to take pleasure in picking on him. He was asked to answer questions about things that he had no idea about and mocked by his classmates for being stupid. No one seemed to have any sympathy to show him. By the end of his first class, he’d snapped at the professor again and lost his house an additional 20 points, making them hate him all the more.

His next class was supposed to be in the forest that bordered the school. He wandered outside and waited to see other students just so that he could follow someone to the right place. The first student he found, however, was just a kid…Well, a kid arguing with an oddly animated backpack.

“Cut it out! You’re going to get us in trouble!”

Jason tried to get close enough to see what was going on when someone threw an arm over his shoulder, making him stiffen.

“Yo! What’re you doing out here, Jaybird?”

“Roy?”

“In the flesh! Miss me?”

Jason let his heart catch up and scoffed. “More than you know. I think between the two of us, we could have robbed our Houses of points completely in one sitting.”

The boy looked at them angrily. “That’s shameful! If you were in my House, I’d see to it that you were removed from this school!”

Roy stuck his tongue out. “Like anybody cares what Daddy’s little brat thinks.”

The boy fumed as his bag wriggled more.

“Daddy’s little…what?” Jason asked as the kid dashed off towards the woods.

“Aren’t you supposed to be close to the Headmaster? That’s his kid,” Roy confirmed. “Damian—Holier Than Thou—Wayne-Al Ghul. Kid’s a disaster. Thinks he’s better than everyone. His mom’s hot at least. She teaches Potions.”

“Why’s he heading to the woods? And what are you doing here?”

Roy slouched. “Care of Magical Creatures. He got special permission to take the class after whining, no doubt. I took it as an elective last year and barely survived, so I’m back in the same level. You heading there too? How cool is it that we’ve got a class together?”

It was kind of nice to know that there would be someone on his side.

The rest of the class gathered near an old shack and a blond man with a tan trench coat and a cigarette pressed between his lips stepped out. “Oy, that time of day already?”

“Professor Constantine, you can’t smoke on campus,” a student pointed out.

The man nodded and tapped the end of his cigarette. “It ain’t lit, ya little narc. Just supportin’ an ol’ habit.”

“I can always report your misconduct to my father,” Damian threatened.

Professor Constantine winced and glared at the kid. “You do that, shorty. And while you’re at it, mention that you’ve got a Kneazle kit which, last I checked, wasn’t one of the pets allowed on campus.”

Damian’s backpack wiggled again and he shrank back into the class.

“S’what I thought. Now! Who remembers where we left off?”

Roy sighed and raised his hand. “You were going to teach us about Demiguises when you summoned a Hidebehind instead that nearly killed me.”

Jason stared at his friend in disbelief.

“Right! Two lessons in one! Y’know, it’s believed Hidebehinds are the product of a Demiguise and a Ghoul! Nasty lil’ fuckers, aren’t they?”

The students cringed at the memory and their professor’s foul language.

“Well now you know the best way to combat ‘em too! Win win! Can anybody here tell me what trait the Hidebehind has that’s similar to a Demiguise? Anybody at all!”


	3. First Session

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jason has trauma that's got Bruce worried enough to require that he attend sessions with the school counselor.
> 
> Seems like a weird idea given who the counselor is, but how bad could it be?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who doesn't love Harley?
> 
> It's gotten to be a joke just how ridiculous the staff is at Ilvermorny. Like, seriously Bruce, what were you thinking? But you never question the Bat's judgment...I guess...
> 
> Mentions of past torture in this chapter, so heads up there. I'll update the tags. What happened to Jason will mostly be formatted like this for a while.
> 
> Initial reception for this has been mostly positive, so I'll keep at it for now. I've got some things I'd like to throw out, plot-wise, but I don't want to count my chickens, so I'll take it slow. Got to do some character building first! Feedback is appreciated!

“Ooookay. You better believe me when I say I’ve seen some crazy stuff. But Lemme tell ya, this is a new one, even for me. Ya look like ya fought an eraser and lost.”

Little spots on Jason were invisible where Demiguise fur had stuck to him, but they didn’t hide the deep-set scowl on his face.

“Right. Lemme start. I’m Doctor Harleen Quinzel. I value honesty with my patients so I’mma tell ya right now that I’m a licensed therapist—got my PhD and everything—and I had that license revoked for a while. But I went through all the hoops to get it back! I’ve been declared sane and I’m fighting to get you there too! Er, wait. No, this is a school, not a…Look, I’m here, you’re here, and neither one of us is goin’ anywhere if you don’t talk to me. So, go on. Gimme sumn to work with.”

Jason just continued to glare at her.

“C’mon! You got mandated therapy and I’m all ya got! I know you don’t like me. You’ve got more reason than anybody here to not like me! But we gotta talk! Big man’s orders!”

He kept quiet.

Harleen groaned and bounced her knee anxiously. “I get it. I really do.” She pushed the too-big glasses up the bridge of her nose and took a deep breath. “Lemme try this again.” She sat up and looked him dead in the eyes. “My name’s Harleen Quinzel. I’m pretty famous ‘round here ‘cuz I was Pud—er—He Who Cannot Be Named’s main broad. You’re pretty famous for killin’ him. Lemme just say, knowing that: thank you.”

At that, Jason raised an eyebrow.

“Oh yeah! Mistah—ahh—No-Name was toxic. Manipulative and abusive. He had me under his spell, quite literally! I mean, the amount a love potion in me shoulda been lethal. He had me as his willin’ slave.”

“You…You were there,” Jason finally said. “I can’t remember it all…but I remember you.”

Her lips pulled into a tight line and she leaned forward. “I wasn’t there for all of it,” she admitted. “But yeah. I didn’t know what I was walkin’ into. He was…I dunno. He said he was just playin’ with a new toy. When I saw you I…I did a lotta things for him that I…I’m not proud of, but I did it. But you? What he was doin’…it scared me.”

“You didn’t…participate?”

Harleen shook her head so hard that she nearly lost her glasses. “Not a chance! My Pud—I mean—he was a monster, but I never stooped to…I mean, you were just a kid. Nothin’ he said made it better. I couldn’t…I couldn’t stand hearin’ you …”

Jason shuddered. “I…I don’t remember…”

“Jaybird,” the use of the nickname Roy had picked for him gave him a chill, “yer blessed to have no memories o’ that. I didn’t stick around to watch ya die and…I’m sorry. Maybe if I was in my right mind, I coulda done more.”

“Jaybird?”

“Yer one a the ‘Rare Birds,’ arentcha?”

“Rare whats?”

Harleen straightened herself up again. “How ‘bout this: I’m s’posed ta getcha past all that nasty stuff, but you and I both know that ain’t gonna be easy and that probably ain’t gonna be how things go down. So, you show me some progress and I’ll answer some questions. That work for you?”

Jason scoffed. “Thought Bruce didn’t want me to learn about what really happened?”

She smiled in response. “And yet ya pushed me anyways. Yer cute. I won’t tell if you won’t.”

He accepted that. He still didn’t trust her, but Bruce did. He had to believe that was enough for now. “Alright then. I’m Jason Todd. I went to Hogwarts for 4 years, something happened that’s got my head messed up, and now I’m here. Shrink me.”

She picked up her clipboard and flipped around a bit while mumbling, “You could start with the weird invisible patches goin’ on,” while looking for a specific note.

“First class with Professor Constantine.”

“Ah. That’ll do it. Demiguise day, huh? Didja hear he almost got some student killed last lesson? Hidebehind’s are nothin’ to sneeze at. Ah, here we are.” She stopped on a specific page. “Ya got placed in…Puk huh? I’m actually an ol’ Puk-Alum myself. But that’s a pretty weird jump from your Hog-House. Got any thoughts on that?”

“It’s all my damned Housemates see,” he began. “Slytherin is notorious, I get it, but it’s just a stupid House.”

“A House that’s produced some of the darkest witches ‘n wizards of all time,” Harleen reminded him. “And I’ve seen yer magic profile. Nobody at this school knows dark magic like you do… Save for Mistah Wilson and Miss All-Ghoul, maybe. How d’ya explain that?”

Jason shrugged. “I couldn’t even tell you where I learned any of it.”

“Okay…Well Slytherin House values cunning and ambition. Tell me what about you suits that.”

He shrugged again. “I don’t…I mean…I wanted to BE someone.”

“Oh?”

“It’s weird, missing a chunk of my life,” he said. “I feel like I’ve forgotten something important. And most things come to me blurry. But I remember where I came from. I remember Gotham. I remember the alleys and…well it’s easiest to just say I came from nothing. Bruce…I don’t remember why, but he found me. He helped me. I…don’t know why he sent me to Hogwarts, but he paid for the whole thing. It was cool, I think. Leaving the country was an experience I never thought I’d have. Maybe I didn’t get along with the students much, but I didn’t need them. I spent the holidays at Hogwarts, but I remember, during summer, Bruce had a room for me.”

“So ya knew the other Birds.”

He shook his head. “Yeah, what are you talking about?”

“Oh! Yeah, I’m talkin’ about Bruce Wayne’s ‘Rare Birds.’ You’re one of ‘em. You haven’t heard that term?”

“It doesn’t ring a bell.”

“Ah. Well there’s four of ya. His adopted kid, his favorite scholar, his actual kid, and you. Though the runt won’t show anybody, supposedly yer all Animagi birds. S’posed to be a coincidence, but ya know. Rumors spread that way. Weird to think he’s collected young boys ‘n all, but hey, who am I to judge?”

Jason didn’t love the thought of being considered part of some collection, but at least she was honest with him. “Well…I don’t know the other boys. I think I met two today. Wilson’s assistant—”

“Mm, he’s got a booty we all like to look at.”

“What?”

“Girl can stare, can’t she?”

He blinked a few times. “O…kay. Yeah, I kind of met him. I think he knows me, but usually I’ve got at least a gut feeling when there’s someone from that missing piece of my life—like when I came in here and saw you—and I didn’t have that for him. Then I guess the little one’s in my Magical Creatures class. He’s actually the one who made the Demiguise freak out. He had a Kneazle in his bag that attacked and the poor thing tore through all of us trying to outrun it. I was the last one it jumped to…Roy caught the Kneazle.”

“Roy?”

“Oh. Yeah. He’s a Horned Serpent guy. He’s…different. We sort of just…ran into each other.”

“Well, it’s good ya got a friend. The way you were talkin’ about your Housemates I was worried. But let’s keep going with the House thing! You wanted more, that’s not a crime, but it denotes ambition. Now Puks, well, we’re the hearts o’ this school. Healin’ types who listen to what drives our emotions more than anything. That doesn’t make us saints; I’m a helluvan example against that. So, why do ya think you got placed in Puk?”

He shrugged. “Magic must make mistakes. That’s the only reason I can come up with.”

She scoffed. “C’mon! That’s not healthy. If ya think it’s a mistake you’ll isolate yourself and then how’m I supposed to crack yer shell?”

He really didn’t know what to tell her. “I don’t think with my heart. That sounds ridiculous. And you said it yourself: I know a lot of dark magic. What about that strikes you as the healing type?”

She tapped her pen to her lips. “Huh. Well, whaddaya want?”

“What?”

“That’s why you were a Slytherin, right? You WANTED more than the hand you’d been dealt. So, do ya still want that?”

“I…don’t.” Jason stared at her in shock. “I mean…I just want to learn, I guess. I don’t want the infamy and attention. I want to learn all I can and…and then I want to stop people like the Joker.”

“Ah! Don’t call him—”

“Between you and me, seriously, does his self-proclaimed title really change anything?”

She smiled. “Okay. So, you wanna be an Auror. That’s a job that protects—”

“No. Aurors enforce the wrong rules half of the time. I don’t think I could live with myself if I did that.”

“Okay. But you wanna prevent others from sufferin’. And hey, you’re in a process of healin’. Maybe Puk ain’t a bad fit for ya.”

For the first time since his late orientation, he kind of believed that. “Okay. Yeah. I could see that.”

“Alright! Well that’s a nice start I think.”

Jason nodded. “So…can I ask a question now?”

Harleen set her pen and paper aside. “Shoot.”

“What was Joker doing to me that made you turn away?”

She adjusted her glasses again, fidgeting uncomfortably in her seat. “He…I mean…I don’t even know how long he had you. He had me running ‘round in circles, trynna mess with the Corps to get ‘em off his trail. When I finally went back to him…I dunno what else had been done to ya, but he had ya stuck like a pin-cushion.”

Jason swallowed a lump that had formed in his throat.

“No needles. No, he was never that nice. Knives, swords, anything sharp. He didn’t use magic to hurt ya.” She looked down at her hands somberly.

“You…you would take another blade and…laugh…

“Joker told me he’d take the blood you lost, mix it with his favorite potions, and put it right back in ya. I…I know those potions. You weren’t laughin’ ‘cuz of anything funny. You might as well have been screamin’. I couldn’t wait around to see where he was gonna stick you next, so I left. I couldn’t go to the Corps. They’d sooner lock me away than listen to me. So I found Mistah…Joker’s nemesis and told him everything. I’m just glad Big B found ya. Sorry I couldn’t do more.”

Jason tried to imagine it…but it was like she’d painted a blank canvas rather than uncover the hidden painting just under the surface. “Thanks for telling me,” he told her. “I still feels like a weird dream.”

Harleen clapped her hands and stood up. “Not that this hasn’t been fun, but we’re outta time, Jaybird. Do me a favor and try to befriend a Puk by our next session,” she suggested. “Doesn’t hafta be your bestie, but just someone you can see an an ally in your own House. Could just be someone who doesn’t judge ya for the Slytherin thing. And you gotta own that! Professor Zatanna attended Hogwarts for a year. Don’t think she was a Snake, but she might be a good person to discuss your transfer issues with too.”

“What about Professor Constantine? Wasn’t he a teacher at Hogwarts? I mean, hell, I probably took his classes while I was there.”

Harleen winced. “Yeah, he could use more therapy than the both of us, but B-Man can’t pay me enough to crack that nut. You may now dark magic, but what he knows is straight up DARK. I can’t believe he works here…but then again, I work here, so I guess I can’t really judge…”

Jason left Harleen’s office only to smile upon being greeted by that green baseball cap over a familiar mop of red. “You wait long?”

Roy smiled at him only to cringe upon seeing him. “Oof. Still got a little Demiguise fluff on you. Kinda creepy. I can see through you in a few places.”

“Not going to lie, I’m not looking forward to using the showers around here.”

Roy rubbed his neck. “Yeah, sorry. I’d watch the door for you or somethin’ but different Houses don’t mix. I can’t visit your common area and you can’t come to mine.”

“No worries. I’ll have to get used to it eventually.”

Roy threw an arm over Jason’s shoulders and the two of them wandered through the halls. “How’d the head shrinking go? I hear Dr. Quinzel’s crazier than her patients.”

Jason shrugged. “Well, one session and I’m Pukwudgie and proud, so it’s a nice improvement.”

Roy pursed his lips. “Aw. That mean you won’t be rooting for me during Quidditch matches?”

“You’re on the Quidditch team?”

“Been an on and off alternate, but yeah. I’m actually the Horned Serpent team’s Seeker. Got a keen eye. I’ve spotted the Snitch in record time.”

“Alternate?”

Roy was silent for a moment before mumbling, “I…I mean, I missed a few practices here and there, so they didn’t think I was the most reliable player…But that’s going to change! The other guy graduated last year so it’s all on me!”

Jason nodded. “Well, I’ll cheer you on when I can. It’d be kind of cool to play for the Quidditch team. I didn’t even realize Ilvermorny had a House cup.”

“Hell yeah! You play back at Hogwarts?”

Jason shook his head. “Never really got along well with people. Organized sports seemed like a bad idea. But maybe I’ll try out for the team here. Force my way in, you know? My House’d have to recognize me if I was on the team.”

“Dude, I’m pretty sure Puk-Team tryouts are tomorrow! You had better sign your ass up! That’s the only excuse I’ll accept for you not cheering me on; you playing for the other team!”

“You propositioning me, Harper?” Jason joked.

Roy laughed loudly and the two of them made their way to the Pukwudgie mirror before splitting up.


	4. Beaters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Quidditch tryouts for the Pukwudgie team awaken something in Jason.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaand in comes Artemis!
> 
> Before anyone gets opinions on Jason's obvious attraction to Artemis, know that this is based more around them in current Red Hood: Outlaw comics! I'm very aware of Artemis' preferences in previous comics. Let's just say that Jason here is less aware.
> 
> Besides, I like to think of both characters as bisexual.
> 
> Anywho, she sort of became his Hermione for this story. Except, you know, if Hermione didn't care for academics and much preferred to beat things with a bat...
> 
> Also, because of the hilarious number of redheads that Jason is well acquainted with in comics, I'm kinda imagining them as a bunch of Weasleys. I get they're not related, but still...

“Quidditch is a noble and long-standing sport.”

Jason made his broom bob between his hand and the grass idly while the Pukwudgie Team Captain gave her required speech.

“Anyone who wishes to fly for this team will have to demonstrate unmatched skill! They must be prepared to fight with honor! Only then can we achieve true victory!”

Jason caught his Broomstick abruptly when one of the prospective flyers tried to copy what he’d been doing and wound up beaming themselves in the face with their broomstick.

“Right.” The captain grimaced at the pathetic display but continued on. She paced in front of them, her impossibly long, red hair trailing along behind her like a streak of fire. “The trials that you’ll be presented with today may seem grueling. You might think them cruel and unfair. But they were designed by great warriors to test your mettle! Should you be knocked off your broom in the heat of today’s tryouts, I will not mourn your loss.”

A couple of nearby students started whispering next to Jason.

“What the hell’s her deal? She’s so intense.”

“I hear she was some hotshot on her Parthenon team too.”

“Yeah, well I heard she hit a Bludger into an opponent so hard that the guy died.”

“No wonder they kicked her out of the school.”

The captain cleared her throat loudly and took a Snitch from the pocket of her Quidditch robes. “There are only two openings on the team this year: Seeker and Beater. If any of you show promise for a different position, you might be recruited as an alternate, but our main concern today is strength and speed. Am I clear?”

One of the prospects who had been whispering raised his hand, earning a harsh glare from her. “Ulp! Wh-what if we wanted to be a Chaser?”

“Do I LOOK like I care what you want?”

Jason kind of liked this girl.

“Alright!” The rest of the Pukwudgie Team stood around them with shaky trunks at their feet. They braced them, ready to open them up and release their angry contents. “One Snitch, ten Bludgers! Like any good match, this ends only when one of you losers catches the Snitch!” She let the little ball go, giving it a head-start before tossing each of them a bat. “The Team’s standing by to take you to the med-wing should the need arise. Otherwise, I suggest you kick off while you can. Good luck.”

The moment she was done talking, the trunks flew open and Bludgers zipped into the air.

Jason didn’t waste any time getting off the ground. It was a little bit of an adjustment to fly with only one hand on the broomstick but feeling the air whipping past him as he picked up speed, he knew that he was made for this. Flying classes were fine, sure, but safety was always important. Back at Hogwarts it didn’t even make much sense to Jason to learn challenging formations when they had to take them at specific speeds and with extra precautions. He’d only had one flying class at Ilvermorny, but Professor Kent seemed like an even bigger stickler for rules, and the guy could fly without a broom anyways.

But this girl? She expected them to go at full throttle out of the gate and he was determined to use the opportunity to the fullest.

Of course, that meant that finding the Snitch would ruin his fun, so why worry about that?

He could hear the growling of a Bludger gaining on him and made his broom flip forward, bouncing it up with its bristles so that he could slug it with the bat, sending it flying. Feeling the bat connect with the Bludger awoke something primal inside of Jason. The action was so simple and yet so satisfying. He found himself not only excited, but eager to do it more. Rather than let the Bludgers come to him, Jason began chasing after the angry balls, knocking them aside with all the power he could put behind each swing. A couple of smarter Bludgers would try to out-maneuver him, but he’d just swap the bat over to whichever hand could reach it better and go for it.

“Whoo!” He did a couple of loops to let off some steam as the adrenaline continued to pump through his system. Was it like this for every Quidditch match? He could get behind that idea. It sounded like a blast.

Then he saw the smallest of the prospects flying close to the ground, Bludger hot on his tail. The kid had his bat tucked under an arm and he seemed to be completely unaware of the threat catching up with him.

“Hey!” Jason dove straight down, only pulling up when he was on the kid’s level. It was surprisingly difficult to catch up with the kid, but if the Bludger wasn’t going to give up, neither was he. He flattened out against his broomstick as much as he could, keeping the bat close to his chest to avoid air resistance. “I gotcha, kid!” he shouted as he finally closed the gap.

Just before the Bludger could clip the kid, Jason’s bat nailed it, sending it flying into the distance. “Take tha—oh shit!”

Jason pulled up quickly as four more Bludgers whipped past him and after the kid. “What the hell?” He chased them down again, successfully defending the kid from the onslaught until suddenly the Bludgers all dropped like dead weight.

“I GOT IT!”

Jason looked ahead at the kid and scoffed. The little guy had snagged the Snitch. “So that’s why you were in such a rush.”

The captain blew a whistle and all of the prospects landed back on the grass, lining up to await the results while the Team put away the dormant Bludgers (one was just a little active, and it was difficult not to smirk as the team’s Keeper struggled and argued with the ball).

A couple members of the team were busy carting off a few injured students on stretchers.

“That was, truly, a pathetic display,” the captain berated as soon as the last pair of feet touched the grass of the Quidditch Pitch. “You!” She singled out the guy who claimed to want to be a Chaser. “You hit Bludgers into other people without reason. How could we trust you wouldn’t get one of your own teammates hit?”

“B-but I’m better with speed!” he complained. “Chasers don’t have to worry about hitting Bludgers!”

“Chasers require accuracy to score goals, speed to get around the pitch, and a good team to keep them from getting hit BY Bludgers. If you wanted to show off speed, you should have focused on the Snitch. And you!” She pointed at the kid Jason had defended from the Bludger onslaught. Everyone waited for the lecture, but she just held her hand out patiently and he scurried over, depositing the Snitch into it, making everyone chatter with surprise. “You’re Kryptonian,” she stated when he got close.

“Y-yes ma’am! I mean, I’m half-Kryptonian. But I have this.” He pulled out a chain around his neck to reveal a solid black stone. “Nullifies my Kryptonian powers. I couldn’t even see through you if I tried!”

The captain smiled for the first time and it was surprisingly warm. “Not bad, Tiny. Welcome to the team.” He pumped his fist in the air excitedly, muttering about how awesome it was going to be to tell some Demon about it.

“You need to work on your situational awareness, though,” the captain added, getting the kid to stop jumping. “If it wasn’t for this guy,” she said, pointing right at Jason, “you’d be a stain on the ground. Lucky for you he and I will have your back out there.” She approached Jason and offered her free hand. He moved to shake it, but she just caught his hand in hers and pulled him close so that they were forehead to forehead. “Welcome to the team.”

Jason was so caught off guard that his face heated up with a bright blush. He cleared his throat and muttered, “I…I don’t think I ever got your name.”

She smirked. “Artemis Grace.”

He mirrored her smile. “Jason Todd.”

“I hope you’re ready to hurt, partner. Practices start Friday.”

“I’ll take whatever you’re dishing, Princess.”

***

“Dude! You got the seal of approval from the Red Goddess herself, and the position as her partner?” Roy took a too-big bite of his sandwich and spit a little as he said, “I fink yer my hurro.”

As if she’d been summoned to their favorite spot in the courtyard, the captain herself stood over them. “This seat taken?”

Both boys shook their heads and she settled onto the ledge next to Jason. “I must admit, I’m a little surprised to find you fraternizing with the enemy, Todd.”

Roy nearly choked on his sandwich, but Jason didn’t even flinch. “Roy’s not spying on us. Not the type. I just hope he doesn’t take it personally when I knock a Bludger his way.”

Roy’s shoulders dropped as he finally swallowed the bite. “Dude, where’s the love?”

Artemis laughed and Jason was baffled by just how pretty she was in that moment. “Glad to know you’re already loyal to the team. It’s nice to finally have a fellow teammate with a strong sense of duty.”

“Yeah, you sound like you take the sport really seriously. I think you scare people.”

She held out her own sandwich and explained, “Parthenon was an academy of warriors. Every one of us took every match and test seriously. As if our lives depended on it.”

“Meanwhile I’ll bet that new Seeker kid’s off celebrating with his little friends. Shouldn’t you be congratulating him or something?” Jason noticed the judgmental eyes around the courtyard and heart the whispers of people, speculating about the girl who had decided to associate with the Slytherin-creep. “Don’t let me drag you down my level.”

“Yeah. Don’t let a couple losers like us mess up your stellar reputation,” Roy added, flipping off a couple of jerks who were whispering a little too loud for his tastes.

Artemis tossed her impossibly long hair back and straightened up, showing off that incredible height that let her tower over most students. “I don’t care for those who judge without knowing anything. And Todd, I would like to know you better. That way I can make my own judgments.”

Jason felt the blush return. “You’re the first Puk to say anything like that.”

She scoffed. “Most find your Slytherin history as detestable, no? Parthenon didn’t participate in such segregating things as separate Houses. I would find this whole sequestering practice reprehensible were it not for the fact that it offers the unique opportunity for the House Cup. Parthenon only had one Quidditch team and games were few and far between, only when other schools bothered to take the time. Truly disappointing.”

“Why’re you at Ilvermorny?” Roy boldly asked.

“I…had a disagreement with our matron,” she confessed. “She felt I was no longer welcome at the academy. Ilvermorny was the only magical school to accept my transfer. Though I only spent my first two school years at Parthenon, I am STILL judged based on where I came from more than for what I’ve done while here. But that’s fine. I look down on such gossip because I am simply better than those who feel the need to spread it.”

“Forget what I said earlier,” Roy said, slapping Jason on the back. “SHE’S my hero.”

Artemis gave him a little smile in response. “I am curious, though. You handled a bat ambidextrously and with admirable strength. Have you played as a Beater in the past?”

“Nah. I used to like showing off to…to…” Jason stared right at Artemis, searching for a name. “Um…I mean…there was someone that I looked up to. They were good with magic and I wanted to be like them…I guess…so I taught myself to cast spells with both hands. Before I knew it, everything seemed just as simple to do with my left hand as my right. I don’t even think about it anymore.”

Artemis tilted her head slightly. “You…don’t recall who you admired?”

Jason tried to dig through his memories. He could remember clear as day, being back at Bruce’s mansion. He remembered…someone…but it was like he couldn’t see their face. “I don’t…I’m sorry…”

“Hey, nobody’s pressuring you, Jaybird,” Roy said softly as Jason pressed a palm to his forehead. “If you can’t remember you can’t remember. Hell, I don’t even remember what I had for breakfast this morning.”

Jason rolled his eyes. “You had most of the table,” he joked. “I get that the plates stock themselves, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen a guy eat a whole feast to himself. It was terrifying.”

Artemis chuckled at the mental image while Roy pretended to be affronted by Jason’s betrayal.

The courtyard started to clear out before Jason even got the chance to take a bite of his sandwich. “Oh. Next class already?”

“Professor Essence doesn’t appreciate tardiness, so I’d best be on my way.”

“Oh. Ess is your teacher? History of Magic?”

“Ah, I forget, you’re a fifth year as well, aren’t you?”

Roy’s mouth hung open in surprise. “You’re only a fifth year?” he exclaimed, taking in all of Artemis’ impressive height. “But you’re Team Captain and…well…you seem so mature.”

Artemis shrugged. “Our previous Captain recognized my potential saw fit to pass the torch to me. Why?”

Jason shook his head and explained, “Roy’s a year ahead of us. I think he’s just bummed to realize he’s your senior.”

Roy conjured his green cap and tugged it down over his eyes. “Yeah, whatever. Well I’ll let her get you to class this time. Catch you later? I could use a soundboard for Broober.”

“Broober?”

“Dining hall after last period. Try not to eat everything without me.”

Artemis spent their walk to class discussing the rest of the Pukwudgie Quidditch Team and what to expect. When they got to the class, Jason nodded at Essence and she turned away from him quickly.

“You called her ‘Ess’ before. Do you know Professor Essence?”

“Y-yeah. It’s a little weird. I spent last summer recovering at her mother’s place. I don’t know why, but she’s been a little cold since I got to Ilvermorny.”

“Her mother? Professor Essence has a mother?”

“Uh, yeah. Ducra.”

Artemis settled into a seat at the back of the room and looked at him in shock. “Professor Ducra is her mother?”

“Is that not common knowledge? The last thing I need is for her to be more pissed off at me than she already seems to be.”

“Professors Druca and Essence are the most mysterious members of the staff,” Artemis whispered as the class began. “No one knows where they came from. And have you seen her eyes? No one knows what she is either.”

Jason shrugged. “I mean, I didn’t really question them over that stuff.”

“Miss Grace, you would do well to hold your tongue now that my lecture has started,” Essence said with authority.

“Sorry. She was just catching me up on a few things,” Jason said, trying to take the blame, but Essence didn’t even acknowledge him. “Okay then…Really not sure what I did to piss her off…”

Essence’s lecture focused on the recent Wizard War. Rather than explain the horrors and loss, she focused exclusively on tactics, criticizing them where they failed to accomplish what they’d set out to do and stating what could have been done better in order for either side to have gained the upper-hand. Though she didn’t seem that old, she spoke as if she had actively participated in some of the fights.

Artemis whispered to Jason that nobody knew her actual age.

That had lost Pukwudgie ten House points.

Jason tried to defend Artemis again, but was again ignored. He made a mental note to check with Ducra soon to see what was up with Essence.

Jason was happy to find that he actually shared most of his main classes with Artemis. It made sense, given they were in the same year and same House, but now that he knew her, it was nice. They even joked about how Professor Wilson had singled him out so often on his first day of classes.

While heading towards their Potions class, they spotted the little Seeker and thought to say hi. As they got close they noticed that the boy was dealing with some angry kid. “Maybe we shouldn’t bother them?”

“I know that little shit,” Jason muttered, rushing over to the kid’s aid once again. “Hey, brat. How’s the Kneazle?”

Damian’s hackles raised upon seeing Jason. “I! You! Ugh! This has nothing to do with you!”

“Yeah, well it looks to me like you’re picking on my new teammate, so you’ll have to forgive me if I get in the way.”

“What? You made the team too?” Damian clicked his tongue. “I didn’t know the Puks were accepting losers!"

Artemis stepped up to Damian, towering over him with her arms crossed. He had to crane his neck to look up at her and, egotistical as he was, he was clearly intimidated. “Team Puk only takes the finest flyers at Ilvermorny, which is more than can be said for you. You can’t use your family name to get everything.”

Damian clicked his tongue again and opened his mouth to argue when the Potions Professor stepped out of her classroom. “Well hello there. Todd, I understand that you’re new here, but I do not tolerate disputes in or around my class. Damian, you are better than this.”

Damian dropped his head low. “I wasn’t—”

“I do not tolerate excuses. Get to class.”

And he scurried off like a scorned puppy.

Jason couldn’t take his eyes off of the professor as she gave him a teasing smile. “See something you like, Todd?”

He’d dismissed Roy’s comment about the hot Potions Master that was supposedly Damian’s mother, figuring it was just the musings of a horny guy. But she wore her Ilvermorny robes open over a form fitting, black leather jumpsuit that was zipped just under her cleavage and left nothing to the imagination. “Uhh…What?”

Artemis rolled her eyes and patted the little Seeker on the head. “If that cretin gives you trouble again, let me know. Nobody messes with my team.”

The kid shook his head hard. “No! I mean, Damian and I are…friends…sort of…He was just mad ‘cuz he’s the Wampus Seeker. I didn’t even realize that.”

“Still, my son’s behavior was unforgivable. I’ll see to it that he’s properly reprimanded, Kent.”

“Kent…Kent…Like Professor Kent?” Jason blurted out. “Oh, that’s a Kryptonian! Wait…You’re Professor Kent’s kid and he’s Bru—uhh—Professor Wayne’s kid? How many of the professors have kids attending this school?”

“I don’t think there are others,” the kid mumbled before holding a friendly hand out to Jason. “I never got to thank you for what you did during tryouts. I’m Jonathan. I look forward to flying with you.”

Jason held his hand up as a fist and the kid curled his fingers and tapped it with his own fist. “Jason. Don’t worry about it. I won’t let a Bludger near you, kid.”

Jon lit up and bobbed his head before running off to get to his class.

“Never had a first year Seeker on the team that I know of,” Artemis noted. She stepped into the classroom first. Jason moved to follow, but Professor Al Ghul caught his arm.

“It is good to see you again, Todd.”

His voice caught in his throat for a moment. “A-again? Do we know each other?”

She chuckled through her nose and leaned in so that her lips were close enough to his ear that he could feel her breath. “More intimately than you know.”

Jason pulled away quickly and rushed into the classroom, clearly flustered. He found a seat next to Artemis, who looked at him curiously. “Did she say something? Professor Al Ghul can be a little unsettling.”

“No, I just…Is every professor here unhinged or something?”

“Welcome class. Today we’ll be learning to concoct one of my personal favorites: a handy little potion called Amortentia.”


	5. Ghosts of the Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A few alumni return to Ilvermorny to start up a Dueling Club and Jason learns a few things about his friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my fellow nerds!
> 
> The biggest challenge with this story is NOT jumping ahead to the parts I've got fleshed out in my mind. We'll see how long that lasts. Anywho, here's another little bit! Delve into Roy's history and contemplate Jason's a little further!
> 
> Here's hoping everybody's hanging in there during this weird health crisis!

“What do you smell?”

“How is this therapy?”

“It’s a two-way thing! Just…just humor me!” Harleen took a deep breath through her nose and smiled. “I smell flowers, herbs, and just the tiniest hint of something metallic. Now it’s your turn”

Jason thought to comment on the obvious references to the Herbology professor, Ms. Isley, but chose not to. The metal note, after all, was a little off-putting.

He closed his eyes and inhaled, thinking back to the recent mess that was Potions class.

“I smell warm bread—like at a bakery—and…paper? Like, old paper. Books with a story and character all their own.”

“Yes…yes…”

“And…” Jason could almost taste the salty tang of blood on his tongue. This was no ‘hint of something metallic’. He knew that smell too well. “Um…spearmint,” he lied.

Harleen slumped. “You’re attracted to bread, books, and what, gum? Lame. I hoped this’d be more insightful.” 

“And you’ve got a thing for plants. Or is that the Herbology professor?” he threw back at her, crossing his arms and leaning back in his seat while she covered the cauldron of Amortentia.

Harleen scoffed. “Pamy and I are close. So maybe I’m feeling a little more in love with flowers these days. Doesn’t change the fact that I still smell blood in that potion,” she said, surprisingly honestly. “I may hate the bastard for what he did to me, but he’s still a part of who I am. How ‘bout you explain the bread ‘n books, huh?”

“Not the mint?”

Harleen rolled her eyes. “Sure, that too if you think it’s necessary.”

Jason felt like she’d looked right through him and seen what he was doing his best to hide. He wasn’t sure that he appreciated that. “The bread’s easy. I grew up on the streets of Gotham. I didn’t always know where my next meal was coming from. Then Bruce found me, took me in, and that first day Alfred MADE bread. I’d never cared for bread before. I mean, usually by the time I got any it was hard as a rock or moldy or something. But this?” Jason could almost feel his whole body relaxing at the memory of the smell. “It meant I was home. I finally had a place.”

“Alfred, huh? You seen him in a while? Jeeves used to haunt these parts a lot more often.”

Jason tilted his head. “Alfred works here?”

“Works? Aw, you don’t know?”

Jason shook his head. “No. No, don’t tell me something…I would have remembered if…I mean…”

“Don’t sweat it! Jeeves is around here somewhere. He’s kinda like the school’s friendly ghost, unlike Brand. That jerk’ll have you cuttin’ classes so he can have his fun. Watch out for him.”

Jason was still reeling from the revelation that Alfred, the old butler who had taken care of him when he was at Bruce’s mansion, had died. Ghost or not, that was a lot to take in.

“Talk to B-Man,” Harleen suggested. “He usually knows where Jeeves is. Now, books. Why books?”

Jason took a deep breath and nodded. “Hogwarts. The library was my respite. I didn’t really socialize, so I spent most of my free time there. I read everything I could get my hands on. Read books that taught me spells to help me read more at once with magic. Taught myself a few ancient tongues to get through some of the Forbidden Section tomes. It was my hideaway.”

Harleen took some notes down before mumbling, “Do we really have to entertain the Spearmint thing?”

He shook his head. “I…I don’t know why I smelled blood,” he confessed. “I don’t like blood. Why would that be something that my mind interprets as…love?”

Harleen sat up. “Holeey cannoli! I thought you were just being secretive about smelling your ginger buddy and realizing you might have feelin’s for him! What the heck’re YOU smellin’ blood for?”

Jason scoffed at that. “Roy and I are friends. That’s not even a question. Besides, he smells like cinnamon. Probably because he inhales breakfast foods. Cinnamon rolls are his favorite.”

Harleen nodded, jotting a few more things down. “You got no idea about the blood thing then?”

Jason shrugged. “Not even a little. It feels like it’s part of that blank spot in my memories. If I could just remember…”

“Maybe rememberin’s not such a good thing,” Harleen offered, making him wince. “Can we talk about why you’re really here today? Our next session wasn’t supposed ta be ‘til next week.”

That was a memory he could do without. “I…I made some Pukwudgie friends,” he said, trying to change the subject. “Joined the Quidditch Team too. Artemis and I have gotten close. It’s nice to know that there’s another person my House AND my year that I can rely on.”

“But she’s not the only babe you met,” Harleen pushed. “C’mon, Jaybird. We hafta discuss what happened last night.”

“I’d rather not.”

“B-Man told me everything.”

“He wasn’t there for any of it. What does he know?”

“He’s the Headmaster,” she said with a shrug. “I always kinda figured the Headmaster was just omni-impotent or somethin’.”

Jason smirked at the slip.

“Sumn I said?”

He shook his head. “No. No, that…that’s Bruce to a T. The guy hasn’t even checked in with me since I started here. For a guy so concerned about my recovery, he sure doesn’t act like he gives a shit.”

“Well I hate to say it, but I’d be surprised if anyone at the school hasn’t heard about what happened last night in some way shape or form. Some kids say ya snapped. Some say ya looked possessed. Some say—”

“It wasn’t like that!”

“So, set me straight,” she suggested. “I’d rather hear it from the horse’s mouth.”

Jason let his head fall to the side, unable to look at her. “I don’t get why I can remember seeing you, but I can’t remember HIM.”

“Why wouldja wanna remember—”

“My roommates found me floating off my bed, screaming and laughing in my sleep,” Jason blurted out. “I was stuck in some nightmare that I can’t even remember! I don’t even know if I was in pain or if I was scared or what! I just know that somebody got the House President and she woke me up gasping for air.”

“Puk Prez…yeah, she’s up there, even for me,” Harleen said with a dreamy sigh. “Sumn’ about those emerald eyes or that orange glow…just gets me hot n’ bothered in all the right ways, y’know?”

Jason blushed slightly. “Yeah, I get it. Kori is…Can you imagine how embarrassing it is to meet someone like HER while crying and struggling to breathe? I panicked. I didn’t know what to do. And…I don’t know why I said…that…”

“Said what?”

Jason’s face was starting to look as red as his friends’ hair. “I…called her…mmmrrf.”

“Mrf?”

“I guess I called her ‘Mom.’”

Harleen fought back a smirk.

“Or that’s what everyone heard but…I didn’t even see her,” he admitted. “I don’t think I was calling HER ‘Mom.’ I think there was some part of my dream lingering at that point. As soon as I was really awake, I just remember begging her to take me to Ducra.”

Harleen wiped a tear from her eye and took a few steadying breaths. “I’m sorry. It’s not funny. It’s just…I mean, this is a therapist’s field day! You got a thing for redheads and you’ve got some mommy issues…It’s like you were MADE for me to study.”

“Yeah, I’m not your lab rat, freak.”

She shook her head. “No, of course not. It’s just…wow…”

“Whatever. I answered your questions. Now you—”

“Slow down, Jaybird. Can’t rush a counseling session. Let’s consider what you were doin’ that day that mighta triggered a Joker related nightmare.”

“There were…a few times people asked me things that I knew the answer to or I knew about, but I couldn’t remember why,” he told her. “Like…it’s more than just the time Joker tortured me that’s missing, it’s specific people I’m missing. Professor Wilson’s TA guy! I still haven’t gotten over the way he looked at me. It was like he knew me.”

“Maybe he did know ya,” Harleen offered. “The way I understand it, ya don’t remember things the Joker had a hand in. Maybe, even if he’s not, you associate him with your time with the Joker somehow?”

Jason pressed a palm to his temple and shook his head. “I’m sorry. It’s just…It doesn’t make sense. He’s older than me. Bruce adopted him. I had to have known him, right? I must have met him. And then there’s Kori!”

“Puk Prez? What’s she gotta do with—”

“She specifically told me: ‘Dick used to speak so much about you’! What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Oh, even I know they dated. Their breakup was legendary. She demanded a reason. Screamed and begged so that the whole school was aware of what was going on. But he had nothing to say. It happened his last day of school too. I guess they had plans to keep in touch and all, then suddenly he pulled that on her. I’d’ve screamed at a guy for doin’ that kinda thing ta me. Can’t blame her.”

Jason rolled his eyes. “So what if she dated him? How come he has anything to say about me?”

“Why don’tcha ask him?” she wondered.

Jason groaned. “I’ve only had Defense Against the Dark Arts classes a couple of times and every time Professor Wilson has dismissed him at the beginning of class. It’s like he’s trying to keep me from talking to the guy.”

“Huh. Usually Wilson’s stubborn about his pretty bird being a part of every class.”

“Yeah, well, whatever’s going on between him and his Teaching Aid, it’s messed up.”

Harleen placed her chin on her palms and leaned forward. “Oh, is it? Maybe yer missing some pieces to that puzzle too. That’s it!”

Jason cringed at her sudden exclamation. “What? What’s it?”

“That’s what I want you to do next! You keep fretting over the pieces to your own story that’re missing, but they’re not coming back to you. Why don’tcha work on somebody else’s story?”

“Do what?”

“You could even do it with your ginger buddies! I mean, why’s Roy always there for ya? Doesn’t he have other people? He’s a 6th year. You’d think he’d have SOMEBODY else. And the team captain chick, she’s mysterious too! Never been all that upfront about her transfer here. Why not see if you can find out their stories? Or if Grayson’s got yer eye, fill in the blanks for his story! See why he’s Willy’s TA! Figure out why he’s always excused from helpin’ when it comes to yer class. Or heck, figure out what’s up with B-Man or find a stranger and get to know ‘em! Doesn’t matter who! You need to find a satisfactory story for someone. Once you’ve done that, I think it’ll help ya to accept that yer own story is missing a few pages. You’ll understand why people have layers. Why they only show ya certain sides. It’s a good practice!”

Jason shrugged. “Okay, whatever. I’ll just talk to Roy.”

Harleen set her pen down and placed her hand on Jason’s knee. “It’s okay to be a little scared,” she added. “Butcha can’t let him control yer life. He’s gone.”

Jason pushed her hand away and said, “Yeah, my turn. Do you know why he went after me?”

Harleen sighed. “I…do…but only kinda…It didn’t make a whole lotta sense to me, but I’m not one for prophecies and that kinda baloney.”

“Prophecy…Ducra calls me the Chosen One a lot.”

“Yeah. Joker’s ‘reign of terror’ was foretold, I guess.” Her air-quotes seemed a little misplaced, but Jason didn’t question it. “Same goes for his greatest foe: The Bat. I guess there was some prophecy about a bird connected to the Bat that was supposed to bring about the Joker’s downfall. ‘Course Mist…Joker wasn’t gonna just let that happen.”

“But…I’m not the only bird,” Jason pointed out. “You said there’s four of us.”

She shrugged. “I wish I could tell ya why you were singled out. But fact is: Joker’s dead ‘cuz o’ you. So, I s’pose he guessed right.”

Jason left Harleen’s office feeling more exhausted than when he’d gone in. He was at least greeted by the sight of his two favorite people, chatting away. “You guys don’t have to wait for me,” he said, getting Roy and Artemis’ attention.

“I was going to anyways,” Roy told him with a shrug.

“And I was looking for you! I have found something that I think we could benefit from! What do you think about dueling?”

Jason raised an eyebrow. “Like, sword fighting or something?”

“Magic dueling, of course,” Artemis corrected. “There’s rumors of a new Dueling Club starting, directed by some alumnus who were known for being a fantastic duelist!”

There was something he could get behind. “Alright. I’d be down.”

“Wait, what was that about alumni?” Roy blurted out. “You didn’t say anything about—”

“Well it started ten minutes ago,” Artemis said eagerly, grabbing both boys by the arms. “Now let’s hurry!”

They let her pull them deeper and deeper into the school until they reached an old cellar room. They stumbled inside together, both boys out of breath as Artemis stood at attention. “I’ve come with a few more recruits for the Dueling Club!”

Jason was only a little surprised to see that the alumni in charge was a girl—he was starting to get used to there being a lot of impressive girls at Ilvermorny—with tan skin and long blond hair tied back in a style a lot like Artemis’.

“Fuck this.”

Roy pushed away from Artemis and was out the door without an explanation, leaving her and Jason at a loss.

The girl in charge sighed. “Damnit Roy…”

Jason looked at her. “I…Um…Do you know him?”

The girl nodded. “Guess he wouldn’t really talk about us anymore.” She cleared her throat and puffed up her chest a little, suddenly looking a little jealous of Artemis’s impressive height. “Well, a couple more duelists isn’t too bad. My name’s Artemis. Welcome to Dueling Club.”

Jason and Artemis grimaced, making their new mentor take a step back. “What?”

“SHE’S Artemis,” Jason explained.

The blond Artemis stiffened. “Wow. What’re the chances, huh? Uhh, let me try this again then. I’m Artemis Crock. I graduated last year from Wampus House. I was a member of the Titans Club and won a national Dueling Championship.”

“The what-club?”

Crock pursed her lips. “You…new here?”

Jason and Artemis nodded, though Artemis clarified, “I’ve been here a year. He came part-way through the year. I’ve at least been told there was a student here who had ranked nationally in dueling. I was hopeful that you were that student.”

Crock sighed and nodded. “Yeah. That’s me, but...Roy…I mean, you guys know Roy, right?”

They both nodded again, honestly curious as to what had set their friend off.

“He really hasn’t said ANYTHING about us?”

Suddenly a red blur zipped into the room. Within seconds of it looping around each student, a young man with red hair and a red track suit stood at attention next to Crock. “Hey, I ran into Roy on my way here! He’s looking better! How’s the intro going?”

Crock flicked the guy’s forehead. “Still working on it, jerk!” She looked right at Artemis and Jason and said, “I can’t really put off the first lesson anymore, but if you guys have the time, would you mind hanging around after the hour?”

Jason was reluctant to accept, desperate to know why his first and best friend had turned tail the moment he saw the other Artemis, but thinking about Harleen’s latest assignment, he figured this might help. “Sure,” he offered. Artemis just nodded as well.

“Right then! First, here’s the ground rules…”

The Dueling Club had a relatively small turnout: a blond girl who seemed more inclined to joke around than duel, a quiet guy who seemed like he’d been coerced into going by the aforementioned girl, a big guy with bleached hair and arm tattoos, and a kid with weirdly green skin. None of them seemed overly talented for dueling, which disappointed Artemis who had hoped to find a “challenge fit for a warrior,” but Jason enjoyed himself all the same.

When the hour was up, most of the students dispersed, leaving just Jason, Artemis, the other Artemis, and the fast guy.

“Thanks for sticking around guys,” Crock said as she waved her wand to clean up the equipment she’d brought. “It was kind of surprising to see Roy, however abruptly. How’s he doing these days?”

Artemis looked to Jason, who shrugged. “I mean…I haven’t exactly known the guy long, but he’s been fine.”

Crock nodded. “Yeah, you’re not a familiar face, I’ll admit. What year are you?”

“We’re 5th years,” Artemis said. “I’ve known Harper for less time than Jason’s been here, but even I would say his reaction to seeing you was rather—”

“Did you say Jason?” the speedster interrupted.

Jason’s jaw set. “I swear, if you say you know me, I’m going to—”

“No! I mean, we’ve never met, but you’re one of Wayne’s birds!” He zipped around Jason a few times before returning to Crock’s side. “Babe, it’s got to be him!”

Crock pinched the guy’s mouth between two fingers. “Wally, you’re freaking him out. Slow down.”

The guy nodded and she let his lips go. “I’m Wally West. I graduated a few years back. Same class as Dick.”

“Okay?” The good mood that learning the basics of dueling had put Jason in was wearing thin the more this guy spoke.

Wally tapped his foot so fast that it sounded like a soft motor. “I mean…he never talked about me?”

“I don’t know Dick,” Jason almost growled. “I don’t know you either. Look, my friend saw her for two seconds and got out of here. The guy’s all about jokes and ridiculous ideas that are somewhere between insane and genius. He’s not about…I mean…That wasn’t like the Roy I know.”

Crock nodded. “He’s still mad then. Damnit.”

Wally inhaled deeply before talking rather quickly. “Dick Grayson and I started a club a few years back that was all about protecting people from whatever—y’know, everyone was a little on edge with the Dark Wizards and He-Who-Cannot-Be-Named running amok. Maybe someone was being bullied, maybe there were rumors of someone using dark magic on campus, maybe Klarion’s cat was targeting them, who knows. We decided that it’d be our job to protect our fellow students from that. And each other, of course. There were a few of us. After last year, though, the club was officially disbanded. Grayson came back here and saw to it himself.”

“And what, Roy was part of the club and didn’t take it disbanding well?”

“No!” Crock interjected. “God no, Wally had nothing to do with the club falling apart. He was actually our youngest member. We figured any younger than him and we were putting people in danger, but he still forced his way in. We were a family. We’d do anything for each other. And so, when we found out that Roy was…using…we tried to help him.”

Artemis scoffed. “What was Roy using? I have been told he uses self-invented spells to make brooms animate and hone in on people.”

Crock looked to Wally sadly.

“No, Roy was using…you know…drugs, illegal potions, stuff like that.”

Jason’s eyes widened and he took a step back, beginning to have a vague idea of why Roy had acted so aversely to seeing her. “You. What did you do?”

“We just wanted to get him help,” Crock explained. “We talked it over at the club and…the best thing we could do was report it.”

Jason shook his head. “You threw him under the bus?”

“That’s exactly what he said,” Wally noted. “He accused us of abandoning him. He ran away from campus. The whole thing got blown way out of proportion. It went from reporting an at-risk student to a campus-wide search. When he was found, he was pretty strung out. Most of the faculty demanded his expulsion and wanted him to be reprimanded for the trouble he’d caused. If Professor Wayne hadn’t stood up to them and decided that rehabilitation would be better for Roy than abandonment, he’d have been kicked out then and there. He was in rehab most of last year. When any of us finally saw him again, he wouldn’t even look at us.”

“Yeah, I wonder why,” Jason said angrily. Artemis put a hand on his shoulder, a poor attempt at calming him down. “Shit. Roy probably didn’t want me to know any of this.”

“Keeping it a secret’s not going to make it go away,” Wally noted. “He almost died.”

Jason raked a hand through his hair in frustration. “That’s why he was an ass to that Grayson guy. That’s why he was the Horned Serpent’s alternate Seeker. Art, I’ve got to find him. I need to talk to him.”

Artemis nodded and watched as Jason morphed into his hawk form, shooting out of the room like a bullet with wings.

He had to find Roy. He had to apologize for being so oblivious. He had to apologize for not leaving the club the moment his best friend did.

As he rounded a corner to the main stairwell he screeched upon colliding with a surprisingly large owl. He morphed back without thinking and landed awkwardly on the steps. “What the hell’s a mail owl doing down here?”

“I’m not a—oh. Right.” The owl morphed into the quiet boy from Dueling Club and helped him back onto his feet. “I’m not the guy who was flying like a bat out of hell. I was just minding my own business in the rafters.”

“That seems normal,” Jason mumbled, awkwardly getting back to his feet. The guy’s feathers ruffled a little before he took out something Jason hadn’t seen in a while. “Why the hell do you have a cellphone?”

“It’s the twenty-first century. Why any of these Magic Schools think we don’t need to be in touch with modern society is beyond me.” He tapped away at the screen before looking up. “Jason, right? Nice to finally meet you, I guess.”

“And you are?”

“Tim. I suppose I’m the bird that came after.”

Jason rolled his eyes. “Fuck this whole ‘rare bird’ bullshit. What does that even mean? There’ve got to be other bird Animagi. Who the hell cares?”

Tim smirked. “Thanks for that. I’ve thought it was stupid for a while, but Bruce seems to have collected us just the same.”

Jason scoffed. “Look. Can we hate on Bruce later? I was kind of busy.”

“Oh. Yeah. Can I help?”

“Not unless you know where my friend went.”

“Harper? Here. Let me check.” Tim pulled up something on his phone, getting Jason’s attention.

“Uh…You can track people?”

“People with phones, sure.”

“Roy’s got a phone? Wait, that makes sense. Broober.”

Tim smirked. “How’s that business endeavor going?”

“We got the brooms to stop coming in so aggressively and now only one broom will respond to the summoning spell, so it’s actually not bad.”

Tim nodded. “Cool. I hope he figures out a Grub Hub thing next.”

“The what?”

“Yeah. Wouldn’t you like to have a Frank from the cart at Gotham U?”

Jason shrugged. “Never had one.”

“Well it’s worth it. I plan to get one the moment that weirdo figures out a magical food delivery system. Got him. Looks like he’s at Professor Constantine’s shack.”

“Thanks.” Before he could morph again, Tim caught his arm. “Hold up. I might need some help from you someday. And, well, I think the two of us could do well to discuss the whole ‘rare bird’ nonsense.”

Jason agreed, but he was in a rush. “Sure. Just hit me up sometime. We’ll see each other around somewhere I’m—”

“Just give me a minute.” Tim let him go and drew out his wand—a smooth, red stick with a black spiral sort of handle—only to point it at his own cell phone. “Hold out your hand for me.”

Jason did as he was told, and Tim proceeded to tap his wand in Jason’s hand. An identical smart phone appeared instantly. “That’s…lucrative,” Jason noted.

“Actually, it is. Don’t tell Bruce. No phone’s on campus, after all. But you’d be surprised what people would pay to have their no-maj amenities. Just one more thing.” He tapped Jason’s phone one last time with his wand and the screen turned on. “There we go. You’re now on my personal wi-fi network—don’t ask—and your phone’s no longer just a clone; it’s got its own number. I suggest you set it up when you get the chance. Already programmed mine and Roy’s numbers in. Good luck. If you get the chance, let me know if he’s alright.”

It wasn’t good to be wary of the guy who’d proven to be so…nice…but Jason couldn’t help but ask, “Why do you care about him?” The last thing he wanted to learn was that there was someone else Roy wasn’t fond of whom he was getting acquainted with.

Tim shrugged. “We’re Horned Serpents. Maybe most of our House doesn’t see it, but Harper’s one of the smartest guys I know. I respect him.”

That was enough for now. He could always check with Roy once he caught up. “Thanks.” Jason morphed again and bobbed his head at Tim before taking off. It took a bit of trial and error to find his way outside, but as soon as he did he flew straight up so that he locate the shack. He all but dive-bombed onto the doorstep.

Upon morphing back, he pounded on the door. “Roy? Roy!”

“Oy, the hell’re you doing?”

Jason spun on his heels as Professor Constantine stood behind him, a spindling line of smoke coming from the tip of the cigarette sitting on his lips. For a moment Jason was left tongue-tied, unsure how to explain what he was doing there. After all, what the hell was Roy even doing there?

“You're finally back, you sack of—” THWACK!

Jason stumbled forward, having been hit hard by the door he was standing in front of. Rather than catch him, John stepped aside, letting him struggle not to land flat in the mud.

“Sorry Jaybird. Didn’t…uhh…didn’t see you there.” Roy stepped around the door sheepishly before shooting Professor Constantine a fierce look. “You said you’d help! Said you’d be able to bring me down!”

Professor Constantine took his cigarette from his lips, tapped it twice, and it burned up completely, leaving behind nothing but a small bit of ash. “Calm yourself, lad. I said I’d help and I’ll help. But you’d do right to remember a man can’t always be where you want him to be.” He stepped around Roy and held the door to his shack open, waiting for both boys to enter. “Did you need a fix too, Todd?”

Jason hated thinking that Roy needed a fix after what he’d learned. “I…No…I’m—”

“He’s moral support,” Roy finished for him. “Everybody claims these things go better with support, right?”

Jason accepted the offered excuse and followed his friend into the shack.

Despite its shabby exterior, the interior was…well it at least seemed more modern; like a ratty apartment in Gotham. Something about it felt depressingly comfortable to Jason. Of course, he remembered his ratty old apartment at least being better organized. He didn’t like leaving a mess, even before Alfred had taught him better cleaning habits.

Roy went straight to the small kitchen and began pacing, agitation apparent in his face. “I needed you an hour ago,” he growled, eyes shifting from the professor to the floor often.

“Roy,” Jason began nervously. “I…I talked to Crock and West. I…I should have left with you. I’m sorry that I—”

“Really. Not. The. Issue,” Roy ground out, eyes now fixed on Professor Constantine as the man searched a box he’d hidden in his fireplace.

“Bloody hell, lad. Didja turn my whole place out lookin’ for this?” He took out a small box that looked like it belonged in a no-maj drugstore and tossed it to Roy, who fished out a clear bandage. He fumbled with the packaging for a moment, just trying to get it on his arm. Only then did Jason realize that it was a nicotine patch. “Wouldja sit down, already? You’re making your mate nervous.”

Roy took a deep breath and stormed over, settling onto a too-plush reclining chair that looked ready to swallow him whole. His pupils enlarged and he seemed to flatten into the cushions.

“What…what did you—”

“Enchanted nicotine patch,” Professor Constantine began to explain. “My own design. Made to give the euphoric sensations associated with most narcotics minus the actual drugs entering the system. In layman’s terms: he’ll feel the high without being high.”

Jason grimaced. “That’s not helpful. That’s just giving him what he wants, isn’t it?”

“Nobody said it was a permanent fix. Lad’s still got mandatory rehab during vacations, and honestly, he hadn’t had the need for this in a good while.”

Jason stared at Professor Constantine, questions hanging in the air between them.

“So, he hadn’t told you, right?”

Jason sighed. “I…No…I just found out.”

“Ol’ Titans back around?”

“Titans?”

Professor Constantine leaned against his countertop and spun a little tale. “Do-Gooders Club woulda been a better name for it. Buncha gifted witches and wizards thought they could make a difference around the school. Thought they’d name themselves after the Greek big-wigs. Made ‘em feel powerful.”

“That’s the group that Grayson started, then? Him, Artemis Crock, Wally West—”

“—and a bunch of other idealistic kids. Dunno what they thought they could accomplish. Only one of ‘em worth a dime was and is Zee.”

“Who?”

“Zatanna. She’s the one what gave you that magic stick of yours. She was one of the Titans before she graduated. Can’t imagine what made her choose to stick around this chaotic school.”

“So…Roy’s…I mean…”

“Harper hasn’t had it easy, mate. His chosen family means the world to him, but that led to him feeling obligated to do his best. Couple that with being a Horned Serpent who’s told time and time again that he’s not living up to his House’s expectations, and on top of that he deals with the pressure of being the most important player on his Quidditch team. Poor lad was just desperate for a means of coping with the pressure in the beginning. When he found a drug that made him feel more productive, it was hard to kick the habit. When he found something that took the edge off, it became even harder to kick the habit.”

“Why does he come to you?”

Professor Constantine coughed and rubbed the back of his neck. “Let’s just say the incident what got me removed from Hogwarts left me in a rough spot as well. So, when I found out about a kid with similar problems, I offered to help.”

That was something else that had bothered Jason. “You taught at Hogwarts, right?”

“Sure did.”

“I…I remember you vaguely.”

“You’re what, a fourth year?”

“Fifth,” he corrected.

“Then you were there when I was. I’m sure I taught you. One of those faces that rings a bell. You’ll forgive me if I’ve no head for names.”

Jason nodded. “I don’t think I knew the details, but sure. I remember there being some incident during my third year.”

John shook his head. “You mean second year.”

That was a detail that Jason knew he hadn’t gotten wrong. “No. I remember when. I was just getting ready for my first trip to Hogsmeade when it all went down.”

John cocked his head slightly. “Lad, I was fired three years ago. Only been here the better part of two years. I’d know.”

“But…third years go to Hogsmeade…right?”

“Mate, I hate to break this to you, but you’re not just missing the odd event in your life; you’re missing a whole year.”

At that, Jason winced, feeling as if something were scraping at his skull.


	6. Quidditch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jason and friends make it their priority to help find Jon's missing necklace before the upcoming Quidditch match.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyo! Been a bit since I've updated this. Sorry. Still kinda a leisure story, but I want to explore certain things more.
> 
> Course it's been a while since I've updated anything... >_>
> 
> Just imagine all the usual excuses topped with a recent move and the holiday blues...
> 
> Anywho, I hope it's enjoyable! I'll do what I can to fight the writers block and update more soon! Hope everyone has a nice new year! Stay healthy!

This was admittedly not Dick’s favorite lesson. It had messed him up in his third year, and things had been so different then.

For one thing, Bruce had been the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at the time. Dick had been excited to show off his magical prowess; being the top of his class when it came to Defense Against the Dark Arts. One by one, the students faced their fears and reduced them to comical things that brought raucous laughter to the class.

That was how it was supposed to go.

“Alright, class. Prove your mettle,” Professor Wilson said as he opened the shaking cupboard with a flick of his wand.

Dick winced as the first thing to emerge was a red amalgamation of animals that looked like they’d been spliced together into some sort of ungodly creature. Garfield Logan was the first student to face the boggart. Given his metamorphmagus status, it was clear that this was the representation of his fear of morphing wrong. The kid took a few shaky breaths before pointing his wand and reciting the lesson’s spell…

“Riddikulus!”

The monster morphed into a large plate of red gelatin with chunks of bananas in it, jiggling as if still sentient.

“Better laugh if you want to make his spell effective,” Professor Wilson warned.

The class laughed like a sitcom’s laugh track, making the gelatin jiggle away from Garfield, who breathed a sigh of relief and moved out of the way so that the next student in line could give it a shot.

One by one, students faced their fears and one by one they overcame them with comedy. It wasn’t really Professor Wilson’s style to make his students smile, but Dick knew how it could all go wrong in an instant. He kept to the back of the classroom and held his wand tight, waiting for the inevitable.

And yet student after student took their turn and even the more shocking fears were overcome and laughed at.

Professor Wilson clapped slowly but with a look of pride in his eye, knowing that he had successfully prepared the whole class to face and overcome their greatest fears. “Very good today. I expect a three-page paper on Boggarts on my desk this Friday. You’re dismissed.”

The students passed by Dick to get out of the classroom, all chattering and smiling, feeling a little empowered by the exciting lesson. It wasn’t until the last student had left that Dick let out a breath that he’d been holding.

“Bad memories, Grayson?”

“U-um… My fear was a little more… shocking than I’d been prepared for. Bru—I mean—Professor Wayne had to step in when I was unable to cast the spell.”

Professor Wilson nodded, considering the information. “Odds are your greatest fear has evolved as you have,” he noted.

Dick scowled at him. “You know damned well how it’s changed.” Professor Wilson may not have known that Dick was once afraid of watching his parents die again when he knew better how to save them, but he knew all too well how losing his brother had messed him up. He knew better than anyone.

“It’s okay, Grayson,” Professor Wilson said, setting a hand on Dick’s head as if he was just some kid who’d had a tough day in class. “The Boggart’s been contained. I won’t let your fears overwhelm you.”

Dick had the overwhelming urge to lean into Professor Wilson’s chest. He wanted the comfort of the old soldier’s warmth. Normally the stubble on the old man’s chin would bother him, but if it meant he could press his face to Slade’s, it would be—

“SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT!”

An out-of-control broom with a familiar red head clutching onto it burst through the classroom door. Before anyone could think to cast Arresto Momentum, Roy went barreling into the wardrobe where the Boggart was kept, demolishing the door in his chaotic flight. The broom broke on impact and dumped him on the floor.

“What the hell, Harper?” Professor Wilson had his wand at the ready and Dick did his best to calm his own nerves and brace for the Boggart.

“F-fuck!” Roy sat up and curled in on himself. He was surrounded by hundreds of syringes which were slowly inching closer to him.

“Honestly, how are you always causing problems?” Professor Wilson readied the spell, but a bird came darting past him into the room.

Jason landed in the room just before the syringes and drew out his wand. “Expecto Patronum!”

A niffler made of light burst from his wand and began chasing the sentient syringes around, herding them into a nearby trunk. “Little help here?”

Dick was so dumbstruck that he was frozen in place. Professor Wilson moved to lock the case, but the lid burst open and the Boggart changed its form, landing on top of the crate as another Jason with a dangerous look in his eyes and an impossible smile on his face.

“Jay?” Roy got to his feet, relieved to be safe from the needles, but seemed just as confused as the rest of the room upon seeing the Jason clone staring its counterpart down. “Dude, what does this mean?”

“Tell them, Jason.”

Dick’s whole body tensed. He’d never seen a Boggart speak before. He didn’t think it was possible.

“Tell them why you think I’m so scary.”

The niffler patronus vanished and Jason remained stock still as the boggart got close enough to touch him.

“RIDDIKULUS!”

The Boggart Jason turned into a red chicken and bounced around, bawking. Jason shook off his paralysis and punted the bird into the trunk before slamming the lid shut and pointing his wand at it. “Incarcerous!”

Ropes bound the trunk shut and it shook as the boggart fought against its new confinement. Jason stepped back and Roy caught him. “Nice. But what the hell was the Boggart doing morphing into you?”

Professor Wilson cleared his throat loudly. “Harper, mind explaining what led to this nonsense?”

“Broober,” Roy and Jason said together.

Dick rolled his eyes and finally spoke up. “Your little ride-sharing spell has caused more problems than Wally did when he first got his super speed! You’re irresponsible and today you put Jason in serious danger!”

Roy opened his mouth to defend himself, but Jason pushed over to Dick with his wand still at the ready. “You don’t get to say a word about him or his innovative spells. I know who you are. I know what you did. So just… just worry about yourself like you always do.”

Dick was taken aback. 

“He’s not worth it, Jay. C’mon. Art’ll kill us if we keep wasting her time like this.”

Jason kept his eyes trained on Dick, but nodded and followed Roy out like they hadn’t just trashed a classroom.

“Honestly, someone should teach those two proper manners,” Professor Wilson commented as he righted an overturned desk. “It’s a wonder that the Headmaster doesn’t see to it that such behavior faces punishment.” He glanced at Dick and sighed. “Shaken, are we?”

Dick pressed a palm to his temple and nodded. “Sorry. I don’t know why I get like this every time he—”

Dick wasn’t even sure how Professor Wilson had closed the distance between them so quickly, but suddenly he was backed against the wall by the door with Professor Wilson’s left hand pressed firmly against the wall by his head.

“Stop pretending you have secrets from me,” Professor Wilson said in a husky growl of a voice that made Dick’s knees weak. “I know exactly how his presence affects you. I know how it tears at your heart just to see him.” He leaned in dangerously close and whispered so that Dick could feel his breath in the shell of his ear. “You can’t hide from me. Don’t try to.”

It was like he’d been hit right in the heart. He slid down the wall into a sitting position and hugged his knees to his chest. Professor Wilson rolled his eye and flicked his wand, repairing the damaged door and sealing it shut to keep the moment between them private. “He’s strong. Far stronger than I give him credit for in his classes, but I suppose I don’t ask my fifth-year students to conjure up fully formed patronuses. I don’t suppose you’d know why his took the form of a niffler?”

Dick shook his head and took a few deep breaths before explaining, “He wasn’t like that when I… I mean… My little brother was…”

Professor Wilson knelt at Dick’s side and pulled him into a calming embrace. “Shhh. He’s here. He’s safe… relatively speaking. He should probably mind himself around Harper, but no one will harm him with Dark Magic as long as he’s here. You know where he is. Breathe.”

Dick swallowed a whimper and let Professor Wilson take his full weight as he quietly sobbed in his arms.

*

“Broober. God, you’ve got to love having that excuse for half of our crazy shit,” Roy noted with a smirk as they sprinted through an empty hall. “We’ve got to find that Wampus jerk before he outruns us. Now that we know he’ll resort to bewitching brooms, things have gotten serious.”

Jason scoffed. “Cuz stealing little Kent’s necklace wasn’t bad enough?” He morphed into a hawk and hopped over to the nearby window. “Let me give you a ride back to the Quidditch Pitch. We’ll put a counter-spell on a broom so that you can go after the guy without losing control again.”

Roy bounced a bit and nodded. “I hate this part. Wait, can you transfigure people WHILE you’re a—”

Roy’s question was answered when Jason bobbed his head and he was reduced to a little turtle once again. Jason scooped him up in his talons and dove out the window. Cool as his friend was, sometimes his sheer talent made Roy a little nervous. He cast spells that most seventh-years hadn’t mastered like they were nothing. He used magic like it was as second nature as Professor Kent’s alien abilities. And now there was the boggart that mirrored him rather than show him something typically scary.

But there was no time to bring it up. They were on a mission and with the Quidditch match coming up in the next hour, there was no time to waste. Sure, Roy wanted his team to win the cup, but not because Wampus’ team was cheating in order to mess up the other teams.

Jason released Roy while still flying at top speed and he realized too late that he was flying into the open window of the broom shed. Seconds after he passed through the frame he morphed back into a human and collided with the mess of brooms.

“Dude, a little warning wouldn’t hurt!”

“Something’s happening! Hurry up!”

Roy righted himself—popping his back and adjusting a couple of stiff joints—and mounted a Cleansweep. He didn’t get to show off before because of the jinx the Wampus guy had put on his broom, but now he wanted to show Jason up for a change. He cast a quick counter-spell to guard the broom from jinxes, then bolted out of the window. In no time at all he passed the red hawk and saw what Jason was worried about. There were a few people on brooms around the bell tower where they’d left Artemis and Jon. The redheaded Amazonian was standing guard over the kid, but things didn’t look good.

“Not today, assholes.”

It was time to show Jason real speed. Being a Beater was cool and all, but it would never compare to the thrill of being the school’s best Seeker. The Titans used to call him Speedy, which stuck even after Wally got his super speed.

He was on the scene within seconds and plowed right into Wampus team’s over-sized Keeper, unapologetically knocking him off his broom.

Artemis cast Aresto Momentum to keep the guy from hitting the ground hard, but put her boot on his back the moment he was on the ground. “Flinders. Care to explain why you’re harassing my Seeker?”

“Hey, don’t hurt him!”

The other Wampus player flitting around was pretty tiny compared to the Keeper. Roy vaguely recognized him as the Seeker who had apparently started halfway through the season in the previous year… back when Roy was otherwise preoccupied. He was also the kid notorious for bringing pets along to classes.

The runt dared to draw his wand against Artemis, so Roy took a flying start and slammed into him too. This kid clutched at his broom better than the Keeper had and shot Roy a dirty look. “What are you even doing, bothering with the Pukwudgie team? This isn’t your business.”

“I don’t take to cheaters well,” Roy said, hoping that he looked cool when he said it. A quick glance below, however, and he realized that Artemis was still busy lecturing the behemoth of a keeper. “Right. Anyways, give the kid back his weird necklace thing. He’s a hazard to more than just his team.”

“Once again you prove your incompetence.”

Roy wasn’t having it. He made another mad dash at the brat, who barely had the sense to pull up on his broom to get out of the way. Roy tailed him like a homing missile, following him straight up the side of the bell tower. The kid was quick, he had to admit, but it was only a matter of time.

They passed the pointed rooftop too late to see the flock of mail owls flying towards the castle. The kid pulled a hard break and Roy slammed right into the bristles of his broom, knocking them both off.

“NO!”

To Roy’s surprise, a hard weight slammed into his stomach, knocking the wind out of him and threading the needle; pushing him through the one small window at the top room of the bell tower. He landed hard, but nowhere near as hard as he would have if he’d been allowed to continue his fall. He sat up and found that the weight on him was none other than Jason, back as his human self in the room that wouldn’t allow magic. “Dude, nice save.”

Jason was panting hard as he muttered, “Why? Why am I always saving your ass.”

Roy smiled. “Can’t say I don’t appreciate it. Don’t really have anybody else looking after me these days. I mean, I guess there’s Artemis and Professor Constantine, but you’re something else.”

Jason rolled off of him and caught his breath. “How did you fly like that? I couldn’t catch up to you if I tried.”

Roy picked up his discarded green hat and dusted it off before securing it back onto his head. “I’m the best Seeker in the school hands down when it comes to speed. A real contender too. I’ve got eyes like a hawk.”

“Like you’d know,” Jason finally got to his feet then gasped. “Oh shit! The kid!”

They both hurried to the window and were relieved to see the little Kent slowly floating towards the ground with the fallen Seeker in his arms.

“Did you know he could do that?” Jason asked.

“I mean, he’s part Kryptonian, right? Professor Kent can hardly keep his feet on the ground.”

“Speaking of…” Jason proceeded to push Roy out of the window before hopping out after him. He morphed and transfigured Roy in a heartbeat and brought them to the ground safely before fixing them up.

“Y’know, it’s really jarring to keep changing back and forth from a turtle,” Roy whined as he got up off his back.

“I’ve never had a problem changing into a bird,” Jason noted. “I don’t think, at least.”

“I said, put me down!”

They looked up and watched the little Kent struggling to keep the Seeker in his arms.

“Damian, I’m just trying to help!”

“And my point has been proven! Now release me, you idiot!”

“Let me just put you on the ground first!”

“I said no!”

To everyone’s surprise, the kid suddenly morphed into what looked like a little Robin.

“Oh, guess the kid’s one of Wayne’s,” Roy said. “Though I thought you guys were supposed to be birds of prey?”

The little bird pecked at Roy’s face a couple of times before morphing back into the boy. “That WAS a bird of prey! It’s a kestrel! You hear me? A kestrel!”

Artemis cleared her throat and pressed her heel into the Keeper’s back to get everyone’s attention. “That was quite the display of abilities, however unnecessary and, if I was a better student, I’d report all of you to the Headmaster for reckless endangerment. If you Wampus assholes return Kent’s pendant, however, I might be persuaded to only report you after today’s game.”

The little seeker clicked his tongue and kicked his teammate angrily. “You moronic oaf! When I said that pendant was getting in the way, I wasn’t referring to Kent’s ability to play Quidditch!”

The big guy grunted and Artemis finally took her foot off his back. “But you said we should steal it.”

The little Seeker, Damian, winced. “Useless oaf…”

“Damian, really?” The Jon looked genuinely hurt by this revelation. “I almost hurt people! I could have—”

“But you didn’t,” Damian said quickly. “I mean, all damage done here was mostly due to Harper. You actually saved me… though it was unnecessary.”

“That doesn’t justify stealing his necklace,” Artemis pointed out. “Now return it already! We should be getting ready for the game at this point.”

The Keeper took a chain and a few broken gold rocks from his pocket. “Oops.” He handed the broken amulet to the kid without any genuine remorse. “Musta broke when I fell on it.”  
“I oughtta break you,” Roy said through gritted teeth.

“Calm down. Reparo.” Jason’s spell fixed the thing in no time and the kid was quick to put it back on his neck and breathe out a sigh of relief.

“I didn’t… I didn’t mean to cause you any alarm,” Damian confirmed. “I didn’t think Flinders would act on something I said in passing… But I truly wish you wouldn’t rely on that thing so much.”

Jon looked at the gold stone sheepishly and said, “Maybe I’ll try not to wear it as often… But you’ll want me to wear it for the game.” He finally cracked a smile. “Can’t have you blaming my powers for your loss.”

Damian bristled, his feathers clearly ruffled, and stormed off with his teammate following close behind him.

“We’d better get going too,” Artemis decided. “The rest of the team’s likely already waiting for us. Thank you for the assistance, Roy. It was… unconventional, but effective.”

“Anytime. I’ll be rooting for you guys from the stands. You’ll need a win since I’m going to kick your asses when it’s our turn to play.”

Jason flipped Roy off with a smile on his face and they parted ways to get ready for the game.

*

Quidditch robes, Jason found, were even gaudier than the school’s brightly colored robes: the team had been given light gray robes that were accented with what to him looked like dumb black tassels. “We seriously have to wear these?”

Artemis scoffed and hunched her shoulders forward. Suddenly the tassels stood up like the spines on a knarl. The effect was breathtaking. “They’re made to look like a pukwudgie,” she explained. “Just tense your shoulders to make them stand up.”

Jason and Jon gave it a shot, amused by the results.

“They look like that more naturally when we’re flying, so don’t worry about straining your shoulders. And remember that they’re only fabric, so they won’t be any help against a wayward Bludger.”

“Do the other houses have stuff like this?” Jason wondered as he jokingly flexed, making the spines stand up. “Hell, how do we tell the teams apart? I thought the school used the same color scheme for everyone.”

“That problem is addressed in Quidditch. We’re silver and black, Wampus is bronze and brown, Thunderbirds are gold and white, and Horned Serpents are blue and gray.”

“What, they run out of metals?” Jason joked.

Artemis shrugged. “As I was saying. The Wampus robes have a tail that floats with them; it’s enchanted to stay out of the way so it’s entirely for show. Thunderbird robes shimmer with a feather pattern, and Horned Serpents’ hoods make horns when they’re up.

“Cool. Makes Hogwarts seem so bland.”

“Anything with Quidditch beats Parthenon. Sure, athletics were encouraged, but for whatever reason, they don’t bother with a house cup,” Artemis noted. “And I was born to be a Beater. Now…” She whistled loudly and the team liked up in two lines with Jon leading at point. “Let’s show them that we’re the team to worry about this year!”

Everyone gave an encouraging cheer, mounted their brooms, and kicked off the ground.

Flying out in formation proved to be much different from the times they’d done it during practice. With the stands packed full of screaming students, the sounds around them made Jason feel, for the first time, okay with the attention of the entire school on him. After all, this time they either wanted him to do well or they wanted him to take a Bludger to the face… Somehow, he preferred that to their usual stares.

“And there they are! The Pukwudgie team! Their captain, Artemis Grace, leads the formation! This is the team to watch this year with its new first year Seeker who is the son of our Flight Class Professor: Jonathan Clark!” Jason searched the stands until he saw a box where the familiar voice was coming from. There the beautiful Koriand’r was sitting with a microphone in front of her, watched over by Professor Gordon. “That is not to mention the new Beater, Jason Todd! I know I will be keeping the watch for these new players!”

The little mention made Jason blush. He hadn’t expected to be called out directly like that. But Artemis looked over her shoulder at him and gave him a friendly wink. He smiled. So long as she was around, he’d do his best.

“Here comes the Wampus team! They similarly have gained a new Seeker this year in the Headmaster’s own son: Damian Wayne-Al Ghul! I am told that his ambitions include becoming the youngest Captain Ilvermorny will ever have. Along with him, Wampus saw another new player with miss Cassandra Cain, who I am told is a most impressive Chaser. This is sure to be a most exciting game!”

Both teams settled in starting formation and waited. Professor Clark floated over to the middle of the field where a rattling trunk was waiting. He put his whistle to his mouth and the field fell silent with anticipation. The moment he blew the whistle he flicked his wand and the trunk popped open, releasing the game balls into the air. For the briefest moment, Jason was able to see the golden speck that was the Snitch. Even with his hawk-like vision, he still lost it just as fast as he’d spotted it. “Good luck kid,” he muttered under his breath.

“It looks like a Wampus Chaser has obtained the Quaffle! He is heading across the field with all of Pukwudgie’s Chasers just behind his bristles.”

Jason found the furious fliers and realized that a Bludger had spotted them almost as soon as he had. He didn’t think he could catch up in time to knock the angry ball off of his teammate’s path. But then Artemis swooped in and sent the Bludger flying up towards Jason. He smiled, recalling the exact play they had practiced so often, and slammed his bat into the ball hard enough to redirect its trajectory, knocking it right into the front of the Wampus Chaser’s broom, forcing him to hold on with both hands in order to right himself, releasing the Quaffle for their own Chaser to snatch up and do an upside down 180 to turn back towards the other goalposts.

The game continued with Jason keeping to the perimeter while Artemis jumped in close with her more aggressive approach. Rather than working on hitting the ball towards people, she focused on deflecting Bludgers away from her teammates. It was Jason’s job to focus on redirecting them at their opponents. At one point a powerful hit managed to knock the Wampus Keeper clean off his broom and forced one of their Chasers to stay behind and attempt to catch any shots made at their goalposts.

As well as they were working, the new Wampus Chaser, Cassandra, proved to be a different kind of problem. She dodged Bludgers like she had eyes in the back of her head and was shockingly ruthless about getting the Quaffle from their Chasers.

“The score is 80 to 70 with Pukwudgie holding the lead! Great job Artemis! Oh, sorry sir. I mean, I am a neutral observer of this match and in no way endorse my House’s most excellent team.”

While listening to Kori’s update and keeping an eye out for Artemis’ next Bludger pass, something caught Jason’s eye. Jon and Damian were locked in a heated race, weaving between the bleachers in hot pursuit of a golden speck. Jon was holding a very small lead that Damian seemed determined to close.

Not far in front of them one of the Wampus Beaters was in pursuit of a wayward Bludger. The guy looked like he was out for blood and the kid didn’t seem to see the threat at all.

“Jason!”

Jason barely had the sense to move as a Bludger flew past him. He spotted Artemis and mouthed an apology before dropping into a full dive towards the other team’s Beater.

Just as the guy struck the Bludger, Jason tried to hit it with his bat and instead took it to the chest. The wind was knocked out of him as he was knocked clean off his broom and into something else solid.

He hit the grass hard, with something still pressed into his back.

“GET OFF OF ME, YOU OAF!”

“Ooh, that looked rather painful! It looks like a single Bludger took out both Beater and Seeker at the same time!”

Jason rolled off, still a little dazed but worried that he’d hurt Jon. Instead, he saw that he had landed on Damian, who looked pretty unamused by the whole situation. “Oh, it’s just you.”

“‘Just’? Why I ought to—”

The kid’s eyes grew wide and he threw himself back just in time to dodge a Bludger that pounded into the ground where he’d landed.

“H-hey! That’s a foul! I’ve already fallen off my broom!” Damian protested as the Bludger moved like it was coming at him again.

Jason sprinted over and struck the aggressive ball before it could hit Damian. “I think it’s been hexed,” he noted. Stay close to me.”

“I don’t require assistance from my opponent! I can handle this just fine without—”

Jason swatted the Bludger away again before it could slam right into the kid’s face. Damian stumbled back and cowered. Jason handed him his bat before drawing out his wand and pointing it at the swiftly approaching ball. He couldn’t think of a good spell in that moment, but he felt a burning rage at the ball for ruining his first official Quidditch match.

POP!

The Bludger blinked out of existence entirely and Jason let out a breath and dropped to his knees.

“That was most excellent! Jason was able to protect his opponent while his teammate was able to capture the Golden Snitch! The final score comes to Pukwudgie 230 and Wampus 100!”

Jason’s shoulders dropped with sheer relief for a brief moment before he realized the new Chaser from the other team was flying right at him. “Whoa!” He braced for impact, but she landed so fast that her shoes skid across the grass as she tackled Damian.

“Safe? Hurt? Safe?”

Damian groaned. “A little hurt now, Cain! Calm down! As unnecessary as it was, this Beater protected me sufficiently.” Damian struggled to get back to his feet and held the bat out to Jason. “I won’t thank you.”

Jason took the bat and smirked. “Wouldn’t expect it, little bird.”

Damian practically growled at the endearing nickname. “You would do well to keep that title to yourself, Todd.”

The rest of the players all started landing nearby. Artemis was quick to Jason’s side to congratulate him on a successful first game.

“If you hadn’t taken that Bludger, Jon wouldn’t have been able to continue his pursuit! Sorry it had to go like that, but you were amazing!” They hugged briefly before pulling apart, feeling a little awkward. The rest of the team was trying to catch Jon to congratulate him on his first Snitch, but he hurried over to Damian.

“Oh man, are you okay? I saw the Bludger going after you the moment I had the Snitch in hand and I wanted to help but—”

“Honestly, Kent, must you rub your victory in my face? Let me take defeat with dignity!”

Jon looked hurt when Damian turned his back on him, but Jason and Artemis hauled the kid onto their shoulders, putting a smile on his face.

“Don’t worry about him. This is your big win!” Artemis told him.

“You can be friends off the field. For now, nobody got hurt and you got the Snitch! Nice job, squirt!”

Jon nodded and rubbed his eyes. “R-right. Thanks guys.”


End file.
